Without paying spectators attending games, a significant number of non-league football clubs in the men’s game will cease to exist. The demise of teams in non-league will have a negative knock-on effect not only on players and club staff, but on fans’ health and well being, women’s and junior football in the local area, and the local economy. The FSA’s head of national game, Andy Walsh, explores further…
Every week we’ll be looking in more detail at one of our Sustain The Game! key principles and this week it’s “Protect our clubs” – we believe football clubs are community assets and an important expression of individual and local identity, they deserve legal protection and urgent support to secure their future.
There was only one contender for ICYMI this week – this fabulous penalty miss from Aylesbury United against Moneyfields in their FA Cup 1st qualifying round match.
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston was this morning pressed by his fellow Conservative MP Damian Collins to act now in order to save football clubs from financial ruin.
The second round of the EFL season took place over the weekend with small numbers of fans allowed into stadiums for test events – and there were many new procedures to follow.
The Government’s decision to “pause” the return of fans to football was not news that any club wanted to hear and it is a threat to the very survival of many clubs – they need your help.
Supporter-owned Merthyr Town have become the latest non-league club to take the difficult decision to ‘suspend’ their activity for the coming season.
Following this morning’s announcement of a pause in the plans for a staged return of supporters to stadiums from October 1st Kevin Miles, chief executive of the Football Supporters’ Association, said:
The second round of the EFL season took place over the weekend with small numbers of fans allowed into stadiums for test events – and there were many new procedures to follow.
On Friday the chief executive of the EFL, David Baldwin, wrote an open letter to football fans ahead of the weekend’s test events which saw fans return to live football for the first time across the three divisions since March…
There are no words to describe the total clown fiesta that is this week’s entry to our #ICYMI archives which comes courtesy of Mechelen forward Aster Vranckx in the Belgian first division. Enjoy.
As clubs make their preparations for the return of fans, albeit with some uncertainty as to what will be allowed in October, the FSA has been facilitating dialogue between supporter groups and clubs to help manage that process.
Macclesfield Town fans say they are “devastated” after the club was wound up in the High Court over debts totalling more than £500,000.
Supporter representatives from top-flight clubs recently met with Premier League executives to discuss a range of issues which impact match-going fans.
Sustain The Game! is the FSA’s campaign to persuade the football authorities to take measures to protect the existence of our clubs – and it’s more important than ever with so many under threat because of the financial strains caused by COVID-19.
The FA Women’s Super League returned to action over the weekend with fans allowed into stadiums – albeit with many new procedures to follow.
Maggie Murphy, general manager at Lewes FC, has written of the club’s experiences in being the first to host the return of fans in the elite women’s game. Their experience will be vital to clubs looking to see how they can manage the safe return of supporters, as well as to fans themselves in finding out what they can expect…
If this pre-season friendly is anything to go by, Everton’s Yannick Bolasie is in for a very entertaining year. The French-Congolese winger could have finished off a very smart passing move by the Toffees late on against Preston but got his legs in an almighty mess. Extra points for blocking the follow-up shot, too.
New research carried out on behalf of GambleAware by The Football Supporters’ Association suggests that fans who like to bet in-play will be 83% more likely to place an in-play bet while they are watching a match live at home, than if they were watching it in a stadium.
Every week we’ll be looking in more detail at one of our Sustain The Game! key principles and this week it’s transparency. We believe everyone has a right to know who owns their club, and how clubs and the authorities operate. Owners are custodians of clubs on behalf of all of us.
