Will the football industry survive the coronavirus shutdown? And if so, what long term effects will it have on the world of football?

In this article we discuss the possible long term effects that the COVID-19 pandemic may have on football. From games taking place without any fans to matches being cancelled and the risk of players becoming infected. We chat to Salford City FC defender Josh Askew to find out about his own experiences during these unprecedented times.

Financial Strain

One of the biggest impacts the Coronavirus shutdown is likely to have on football is financial loss. Especially smaller clubs who’ve been relegated and therefore won’t receive as much support, which will inevitably result in losing players, causing a downward spiral. What’s more, a sense of unfairness has also come about in clubs such as these, particularly those who had games with a home advantage still left to play. Unfortunately it’s looking like more and more clubs are likely to collapse, so it’ll be interesting to see how the decisions made by investors in the upcoming months will affect lower league football.

The Game Itself

“Football is nothing without fans” seems to be a strong view held by many footie fans around the world at the moment. It’s feared that a lack of atmosphere will have a huge impact on players’ performance and subsequently will result in unfair outcomes. The proposal to replace fan noise with the noise from FIFA won’t factor in how the crowd grows in noise during key moments, and the effect that this can have on the players. We’ll have to wait for the Premier League to return to see exactly what impact this will have on the top tier of English football.

The Risk to Players

Another important consideration to make when looking at the future of football after the Coronavirus shutdown is the risk to the players. If one player does catch Covid-19, this could cause even more delays, like what happened to Dynamo Dresden when the squad had to isolate due to a positive case. If a player is asymptomatic then there is a high likelihood they can pass it on before the next round of testing.

To find out what impact the coronavirus outbreak has had on football in the UK, we spoke with Josh Askew, defender at Salford City FC:

What impact Has COVID-19 Had on Lower League Football?

“I know from experience that the lower league clubs are struggling to afford to run the clubs they own and are now in a matter of pure uncertainty of what happens next season. If the games are played behind closed doors then the fans coming through the gates are not supplying the club with the money they need to stay functioning.”

How has the Coronavirus Pandemic Affected your Career?

“Right now players are in a position where, like myself, we don’t know when our next contract will start. Players that are older (late 20’s early 30s) don’t know if they will earn themselves another good contract and if they do it’ll be for only 12 months.”

This is a Really Worrying Time for the World of Football. How are you Dealing with all of this Uncertainty?

“The main thing I tell myself is not to worry and it’ll all be sorted once it can be sorted.”

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