Bleak winter ahead for sports in UK as fans kept out of stadiums

Sports in the UK faces a bleak winter and, for some, a fight for survival in the cold months ahead.

This came to reality Tuesday after the postponement of plans to allow a limited number of fans back into stadiums from October.

What had been seen as a glimmer of light at the end of a tunnel now looks like another long stretch of darkness for clubs and sports.

They are already in crisis-management after being forced to do without their ticketing income stream.

The government had planned to allow 25 to 33 percent capacities from Oct. 1.

But senior cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Tuesday that was set to be postponed to tackle a second wave of COVID-19.

A coalition of more than 100 sports bodies had called on Monday for emergency funding in the light of the expected development.

These include the tennis, cricket and rugby governing bodies, as well as the Premier League.

They warned also of “a lost generation of activity”.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters recently said a failure to allow fans back as soon as possible would cost clubs 700 million pounds (896.63 million dollars) in 2020/2021.

While the top tier enjoys lucrative television deals, the financial picture for those whose business models rely heavily on gate receipts remains stark, with some warning of collapse without a bailout.

English Football League chief executive David Baldwin said last week that EFL clubs lost 50 million pounds in gate receipts in 2019/2020.

“It is estimated a further 200 million pounds will be lost if crowds do not return during the 2020/2021 campaign,” he said.

“The contribution to football’s finances made by match-going supporters… is critical to the viability of League football and all EFL Clubs.”

The Rugby Football Union had hoped for a 20,000 crowd at Twickenham for England’s game against the Barbarians on Oct. 25.

But they have now suspended ticket sales for what would have been a major revenue stream.

In July, the RFU projected a short-term revenue loss of 107 million pounds due to the closure of Twickenham and proposed making 139 positions within the organisation redundant.

The entire backbone of the sport’s funding across the UK is the money made from hosting internationals.

The RFU make around 10 million pounds from each Twickenham full house and its internationals at the venue provide around 85 percent of its income.

Without those funds it has warned of a devastating knock-on effect on the grassroots game and now even a smaller figure from a 50 percent or 25 percent capacity looks in jeapordy.

Rugby Football League (RFL) chief executive Ralph Rimmer said this month that the potential impact on revenues of not being able to admit fans was up to two million pounds a week.

The prospect of thousands of people travelling to venues, even if well separated once inside, jars with a message for people to work from home where possible and avoid social mingling.

“The virus is less likely to spread outdoors than indoors, but it’s in the nature of major sports events that there’s a lot of mingling.” said Gove.

The UK has the biggest official COVID-19 death toll in Europe.