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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…

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…

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.

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…

Supporters will be able to make a return to EFL fixtures next week, with two matches confirmed as test events in line with the Government’s pilot scheme.

Supporters of Premier League clubs still face the prospect of not seeing their teams play by legal means when the season resumes in 11 days time.

Last week the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) had discussions with the Premier League which indicated that 160 of the season’s 380 games would not be broadcast live to UK audiences during 2020/21. They still insist this will be the case.

The chair of the influential All-Party Parliamentary Group for Football Supporters has written to the Premier League and called upon it reconsider its position on restricting broadcast access to UK audiences during the current pandemic.

The EFL have agreed a “flexible framework” with Sky Sports, to allow all EFL games not already being televised to be streamed online via its iFollow platform.  

Pressure is building on the Government to update their guidance currently prohibiting the return of fans to non-league football despite other areas of the economy opening up.

Non-league side Droylsden have pulled out of the Northern Premier League saying the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has left them “no alternative”.

The FSA are gathering the views of fans of women’s football across the country on how they believe football can safely return from its COVID-19 suspension with spectators in the stands. 

Supporters at a handful of EFL clubs remain unhappy with how their clubs are handling the process of refunding games missed during the pandemic.