MX23RW : Saturday, December 28 07:02:27| >> :120:34561:34561:

Coronavirus latest: Walsall chairman Pomlett calls for urgent support from EFL

EFL clubs have found it increasingly difficult to survive over the years with Bury infamously expelled last season due to financial problems.

Walsall chairman Leigh Pomlett believes some EFL clubs could face bankruptcy due to coronavirus – and called for more "urgency" from the governing body to provide support.

Football League clubs have found it increasingly difficult to survive over the years with Bury expelled earlier this season due to financial problems.

With the season on hold until next month at the earliest, clubs' revenue has been cut dramatically.

While Pomlett is optimistic about his own club's ability to survive, he fears others may go to the wall.

He told the PA news agency: "It wouldn't surprise me. We all do the same thing, which is play football, but we all do it in different ways in terms of the finances.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't be at all surprised. It doesn't take long for a business to get into a cash spiral decline. When it does, it's almost impossible to get out of it. So I wouldn't be surprised and I wouldn't be complacent about any club.

"Some are in pretty difficult situations as it is. We all know that."

Pomlett, who took over as majority shareholder of the Saddlers last summer, is eagerly awaiting assistance from the governing bodies for clubs like his.

"I'd be hugely disappointed if there was not support for us from the PFA, the EFL and the Government," he said. "We, like any other football club, will be looking for that support and waiting for the EFL to show the urgency that we need to keep football clubs running."

He added: "This has affected us in many ways. But the crucial one is that it's stopped the in-flow of cash and we've still got outgoings.

"It's going to be a tough conversation with all the staff and players to say 'do you mind not getting paid until the coronavirus has gone away?'

"It's not a conversation I particularly want to have, so we've got to protect the club from the fact we've got cash going out, but don't have sufficient cash coming in. So we have to manage that balance and will do for a number of weeks yet, I think."

ID:393171: cacheID:393171:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:11267:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
General view of Macclesfield Town's Moss Rose from 2014
Read Next:
Macclesfield game against Walsall to go ahead as scheduled
>
Read more about Leigh Pomlett Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Walsall21144339192046
2Port Vale2210752721637
3Doncaster RoversDoncaster2210663126536
4Crewe AlexandraCrewe219842518735
5AFC Wimbledon21104732181434
6Chesterfield2297636251134
7Notts County219753021934
8Grimsby Town22111103034-434
9Salford City219662519633
10Bradford CityBradford218762623331
11MK Dons209383328530
12Bromley217953025530
13Gillingham219392220230
14Cheltenham TownCheltenham228683131030
15Colchester UnitedColchester2151152522326
16Fleetwood TownFleetwood206862625126
17BarrowBarrow217592021-126
18Newport CountyNewport217592936-726
19Tranmere RoversTranmere205691529-1421
20Harrogate TownHarrogate2263131834-1621
21Swindon TownSwindon2248102736-920
22Accrington StanleyAccrington204792636-1019
23Morecambe2245132038-1817
24Carlisle UnitedCarlisle2136121533-1815


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!