FA chairman warns season could be over for Cobblers and co

The EFL and Premier League confirmed last week that the campaign has been postponed indefinitely and will not return until it is seemed safe to play again.

It is hoped the season can be concluded over the summer months when the virus may have been tamed, albeit behind closed doors.

However, whilst Clarke still wants to finish the current campaign, he fears that might not be possible due to the severity of COVID-19.

Speaking at the FA Council meeting on Tuesday, he said: "We are committed to finishing the professional football season as this resolves the issues of promotion and relegation together with title winners on merit.

"However, we may not be able to finish the season as football is not our priority, human life is, and we will do as the Government directs as the pandemic unfolds.

"Further down the football pyramid, our leagues have requested that the season is curtailed and that decision rests with the FA Council.

"We are all determined to finish the professional football season, however we would be fools not to develop such a contingency plan.

"Football faces economic challenges beyond the wildest imagination of those who run it and the pandemic will be followed by its economic consequences and all business sectors will suffer."

With the entire country still on lockdown, Clarke admitted that the FA itself is being affected significantly by the virus.

He added: "Football, like many other sectors of the economy, has been hit hard by effectively closing down its business.

"From grassroots through the semi-professional pyramid to the professional game: clubs have closed, games are cancelled, terraces are empty and cash flow has stalled.

"Yesterday, Mark Bullingham, the FA Chief Executive, announced the measures the FA Board approved to stabilise our finances given the suspension of the games that drive our revenue streams.

"The FA is suffering from the severe financial consequences of the pandemic which could be in the range £150 million upwards over the next two years.

"The pay cuts and furloughing we have implemented buys us time to understand more fully the duration of the lockdown and its economic impact on us.

"Returning to the issue of uncertainty, no one knows how long the lockdown will last and what social distancing measures will endure even when the daily rate of infection is much reduced.

"Our Government is rightly cautious as human life is at stake and prudence is our only sensible option."