Thomas warns of grim future for football without long-term solution

Kelvin Thomas has warned English football is facing a ‘very serious’ few weeks and that some EFL clubs will 'go to the wall' if a long-term solution is not found.

The Premier League on Wednesday rejected the ‘Project Big Picture’ proposals put forward by Liverpool and Manchester United that sought to redistribute finances across the football pyramid.

The Premier League agreed in the same meeting to offer a £50million bailout package to League One and Two made up of grants and interest-free loans, but whether that is enough to save struggling clubs in the long-term remains to be seen.

“Without a doubt, a lot of clubs will be in big trouble,” warned Thomas. “I don’t know a club that wouldn’t be in trouble without a rescue package or significant owner funding.

“The majority of football clubs just cannot survive without any fans. You’re taking away 40, 45 per cent of your income with no hope of it coming back any time soon.

“Every club in the country is going to be making these decisions and we can’t hide from the facts. Having no fans is awful for football and it’s become very evident that they are the most important aspect.

“With the prospect of no fans and potentially no rescue package, then it becomes very serious for all football clubs.”

Thomas had thrown his weight behind Project Big Picture, which promised a radical shake-up of football pyramid, before it was rejected. The Premier League have since promised to hold a 'strategic review' on the structure and financing of English football.

“Clubs are struggling and clubs will go under if a rescue package is not sorted so it’s incredibly critical,” he added..

“I think that help will eventually come but now we’re in a position where crowds are not being allowed in and the furlough scheme has run out so we’ve taken a leap of faith by saying we will start playing and we will bear those costs.

“That came with the expectation of crowds and a promise of a rescue package but the negotiations so far have not been successful because the Premier League have not got anywhere near the number that the EFL needs and they’ve also added a lot of conditions.

“The Premier League are offering a small grant and a large loan but how and when can we pay that money back if crowds aren’t going to return?

“That’s why Project Big Picture is so much better and made a lot of sense but it was encouraging when we were on the call with other owners this week because we didn’t give up our future for our immediate needs.

“We’ve got the full support of the EFL because we understand, once we get through COVID, the bigger issue is financial sustainability.”