Cobblers welcome financial help from the Premier League, but say more has to be done

It was announced on Thursday that the Premier League and EFL had agreed a 'rescue package and distress fund' to address the immediate challenges faced by clubs arising as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The relief package is set to provide a combined fund of £50m for league one and league two clubs, with £30m to be paid to all 48 clubs as a grant, and a further £20 million available on application as a ‘monitored grant’.

That means the Cobblers are set to receive a guaranteed grant of £375,000, but what else may be coming their way is not yet known.

And the stark reality is that the £375,000, while a very welcome injection, does not come close to making up for what the Cobblers have lost in revenue as a result of having to play behind closed doors since March.

There is an EFL meeting next Thursday where clubs are expected to learn more details of how the grant will be divided up.

“While clearly a welcome step in the right direction, we await more information, including details of how this money will be divided up between clubs," said Cobblers chief executive James Whiting.

“While any help is very welcome, this will only replace a fraction of the income the club has lost and continues to lose while either playing behind closed doors or in front of a limited attendance.”

Fans will be back inside the PTS Academy Stadium this weekend for the first time since March 7.

A total of 1,000 season-ticket holders will be in attendance for the Sky Bet League One clash with Doncaster Rovers, with that number rising to 2,000 for matches that follow later in the month.

It is great news that supporters will be back, but financially there is no boost for the club as the supporters attending have already paid for their tickets.