Government pledges £330billion to help British businesses during coronavirus outbreak but Sky Sports pundit urges Premier League to step in
Wednesday 18 March 2020 12:02, UK
Jamie Redknapp has called on the Premier League to help those lower down the football pyramid deal with the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The plea comes as concerns grow for the futures of lower-league clubs who have had the revenue streams cut off by the unprecedented Covid-19 outbreak.
The British government has pledged £330billion to help small British businesses deal with the crisis, support clubs in the lower divisions of English football are eligible for.
That possible relief came too late for Barnet Football Club, where 60 people were left on the brink of unemployment after the National League side placed all non-playing staff on immediate notice of redundancy. It's a situation Redknapp insists cannot be repeated.
"When the world is better and we can all reset, it's vitally important the Premier League and other clubs help and do whatever they can to keep clubs going," the Sky Sports pundit told The Debate.
This is not a time for ideology and orthodoxy, this is a time to be bold, a time for courage. I want to reassure every British citizen this Government will give you all the tools you need to get through this
"So many smaller clubs could go out of business from this, they are going to need a bit of help. It wouldn't harm the Premier League clubs, given all the money the league creates, to agree to do something."
Redknapp highlighted the impact of a club going out of business could have on individual fans, adding: "So many people want to go and watch their team play on a Saturday.
"If you take that away from their lives and livelihoods it could have an impact on finance and mental health. People need football as a release so we need to make sure football does everything it can to give these clubs the financial help to keep going."
Millwall manager Gary Rowett joined Redknapp on The Debate and echoed his comments, urging football as a whole to do what it can to help the wider community through these uncertain times.
"There has to be a sense of community," Rowett said. "We talk about football clubs but it's the people who work at them, the individuals who could lose their jobs on the back of these measures to reduce sporting events.
"There is a moral responsibility from everybody, but particularly in football. There's a lot of self interest at the moment, people grabbing stuff off the shelves, but this is about the community and looking after each other, not just in sport but in general."
Sky Sports reporter Geraint Hughes
'So many clubs in sport are not of the elite, they are essentially part of the small and medium-sized business landscape of the UK, and there are going to need help.
'Cash flow for these businesses is sometimes king. If nothing is happening in sport, if things are postponed or on hold there is no cash coming in.
'They still have to play wages, rents and mortgages so this package of guarantees give clubs of any sport the option to apply for loans packages.'
