Calls for Covid halt met with opposition as financial implications emerge

Premier League bosses such as Jurgen Klopp, Thomas Tuchel and Thomas Frank have been queuing up to call for a temporary halt to the season because of Coronavirus.

But away from the top flight and its billions, League Two clubs are desperate to carry on playing ­because of the financial hit of losing so many games over the lucrative festive period.

Half of the League Two matches scheduled for Boxing Day have already been postponed while only four games survived last Saturday.

Bradford City claim losing their Boxing Day Yorkshire derby against Harrogate at the ­Utilita Energy Stadium has cost them at least £100,000, while Walsall say they are like a patient in intensive care.

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The Bantams were excited about the prospect of playing at home on Boxing Day for the first time since 2017 and had hoped to beat their record fourth-tier crowd of 17,974.

Now they have been left counting the cost of it being called off.

Chief executive Ryan Sparks said: "We were looking forward to the occasion ­because we've not played at home on Boxing Day for such a long time.

"The plan was to have our record crowd for this level and Harrogate were looking ­forward to the game as well.

"Every business has a cashflow projection and you ­project an amount of money is going to enter your bank ­account on a certain day.

"That date is now going to move and the income from the rearranged match will probably be less than it would have been on Boxing Day.

"It would be very naive of me to suggest that we're not bothered and it hasn't affected our finances.

"We've just missed out on over £100,000 in revenue from the matchday at the very least."

Bradford's game at Carlisle on Saturday also fell victim to the virus and Sparks claims the League Two programme will have to be halted if the Government orders games to be played behind closed doors again.

"It's all about the integrity of the competition," he added. "That's why we curtailed the season right back when all this began.

"In no way am I suggesting we should do the same again. However, if we get to a point where we can't have crowds in the ground, I think we should stop and have a break and let the vaccination booster ­campaign catch up."

Walsall's Boxing Day match at Northampton has also been postponed and Saddlers ­chairman Leigh Pomlett says they are managing the club hour-by-hour.

In addition to their lost matchday income, Walsall's successful entertainment and dining initiatives at the Banks's Stadium has also been hit.

"There's a parallel to be drawn here with the medical situation, and the club being put into intensive care," said Pomlett.

"You manage it in an ­intensive care way, on an hour-by-hour basis. That's what you do when a business is put into trouble, through no fault of anybody.

"It's the aftermath that will be the problem. You can ­borrow money, but you have to pay it back and I'm not sure all clubs will be able to do that.

"We will never take Walsall down that route. I will not let that happen."