TrendsWide
[email protected]
Contact
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • National
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • National
  • Culture
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
No Result
View All Result
TrendsWide
No Result
View All Result
Home Sports

Coventry City accuses government of leaving struggling clubs to ‘fend for themselves’

souhaib by souhaib
November 20, 2020
in Sports
0
0
SHARES
22
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Coventry City has hit out at the government after Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced a £300 million rescue package for sports affected by a ban on spectators, but ignored the EFL.

Football league clubs are furious with government over what they see as a lack of support and double standards after ministers banned them – and other sports – from allowing fans back into grounds over coronavirus fears.

Clubs have sunk further and further into debt, while audiences returned to theatres, cinemas and other venues, before the latest national lockdown closed all outlets in November.

Coventry City chief executive Dave Boddy feels government has abandoned football

Boddy (left) has given a passionate response to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden's plans

Boddy (left) has given a passionate response to Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden’s plans

The government approach over spectators has hit professional sport hard, but now there is at least some relief for other disciplines, including rugby, which will receive £135m.

Announcing the Winter Sports Survival Package on Thursday, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: ‘We promised to stand by sports when we had to postpone fans returning. We are doing just that by delivering another £300 million on top of existing business support schemes.’

But those words prompted a passionate response from Dave Boddy, chief executive at Championship club, Coventry City.

‘The evidence shows that the government is not doing everything that it can and instead is putting its head in the sand and hoping for the Premier League to provide the support for the EFL Clubs instead.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden insists the Premier League must support the EFL

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden insists the Premier League must support the EFL

‘Coventry City believes this is wrong, and the Government should treat football as it is treating other sports and provide the support to ensure it survives during this crisis and while the Government does not allow fans to return.

‘The nation’s sport is football and it is being left to fend for itself, despite it being the most significant sport in this country for its economic, social and community impact and the number of supporters it would normally have going through turnstiles.’

The government backtracked on a pledge to pilot a return of fans in October as infection rates rose, concerned by the number of football matches and the volume of spectators, compared to other events.

And it has insisted that high-level professional football has the resources to look after itself and has refused to step in to bail out the EFL.

Ministers believe the Premier League and EFL should reach an agreement over a bail out, a point reinforced by the Digital Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Friday, which wrote to the both organisations urging them to stop ‘squabbling’.

Doddy is disappointed that a £300m rescue package for sport did not include the EFL

Doddy is disappointed that a £300m rescue package for sport did not include the EFL

So far, no deal between the Premier League and EFL has been agreed.

The latest proposal was to provide £20m in grants and £30m in loans for League One and Two clubs, but the EFL has pushed back fearful of taking on more debt and asked for £50m in one pot of grants.

The solution for Championship clubs is less clear, but the Premier League suggested last week that it would provide a £200m loan facility repayable from the annual solidarity payments.

Sportsmail understands that these proposals may be broadly acceptable to government, but negotiations continue.

QPR chairman Lee Hoos has highlighted the good work football does in local communities

QPR chairman Lee Hoos has highlighted the good work football does in local communities

Meanwhile, there is anger within the game with ministers accused of overlooking the national sport and a belief that the politicians at DCMS and those in the cabinet do not understand the value of football to local communities.

‘The Premier League and the EFL are watched and enjoyed by billions of fans around the world, a great advert for our game and our country,’ added Boddy. ‘Now, when football is in need, it is being abandoned by the Government.’

The Premier League, and many EFL clubs, feel ministers have not properly acknowledged the level of support the top-tier already provides.

The Premier League has offered a mixture of loans and grants to support Leagues One and Two

The Premier League has offered a mixture of loans and grants to support Leagues One and Two

The EFL has introduced a £50m emergency loan fund for clubs on the edge of administration

The EFL has introduced a £50m emergency loan fund for clubs on the edge of administration

The Premier League points out that last year, the total payments from the top tier to the EFL amounted to £409m, which includes parachute money, contributions to community schemes, for relegated clubs and funds for academies among other items.

Included in that sum are solidarity payments totalling £140m to EFL clubs, including £4.65m each year to Championship sides.

It also needles football clubs that they do a lot of work for their local areas and feel government does not factor this into its considerations.

Sportsmail reported on Friday that EFL clubs have delivered 640,000 meals and food parcels to people needing help during the pandemic.

Premier League sides have been busy too, supporting hundreds of thousands of people with meals, through community activities and fitness programmes, distributing PPE and calling isolated people.

EFL chairman Rick Parry appeared before the DCMS Select Committee

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters also appeared in Parliament

Rick Parry, chairman of the EFL ( left) and the Premier League’s chief executive Richard Masters (right) appeared before MPs on the DCMS Select Committee last week

‘We are the first people to be asked to help out and the last to be offered any support,’ Lee Hoos, chief executive of Queens Park Rangers told Sportsmail, neatly summing up a common view among chief execuitves and owners.

However, ministers feelhave supported elite football. Sports minister Nigel Huddlestone told Parliament on Thursday that the total spending on football amounted to £1.5 billion when furlough and other support schemes were taken into account.

And MPs on the DCMS committee, which interviewed both Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and EFL chairman Rick Parry last week, has lashed out at both organisations over the ongoing financial crisis.

ADVERTISEMENT
Chairman of the DCMS select committee Julian Knight has written to Parry and Masters

Chairman of the DCMS select committee Julian Knight has written to Parry and Masters

The committee chairman, MP Julian Knight, wrote to Parry and Masters in stark terms accusing the organisations of ‘squabbling’ and lacking leadership.

‘We are disappointed that you have not yet come to an agreement that will ensure the survival of football clubs through the current pandemic,’ said Knight.

‘There is enough money in the game to save football clubs but we are beginning to doubt whether there is enough leadership to make that happen. We urge you to stop squabbling and come to an agreement.’

‘Fans have been waiting too long. We expect, and the fans deserve, better.



Source link

Tags: dailymail sportusa today sport
ShareTweetPin
Previous Post

Schools are some of ‘the safest places places’ children can be, CDC director says

Next Post

Children in the Middle East & North Africa want funnier, relatable Arabic cartoons

souhaib

souhaib

Related Posts

Sports

Genoa 2-2 AC Milan: Pierre Kalulu strike ensures Milan stay top

December 17, 2020
Sports

Dawid Malan has become the world’s No 1 T20 batsman but now wants a spot on next year’s Ashes tour

December 17, 2020
Sports

Leeds owner on the verge of selling further 15% stake to the San Francisco 49ers

December 17, 2020
Next Post

Children in the Middle East & North Africa want funnier, relatable Arabic cartoons

Vladimir Putin 'underwent surgery for cancer in February', critic claims

Some fans angry at £24.95 PPV price for Anthony Joshua's fight against Kubrat Pulev

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

US records 500,056 cases & 3,419 deaths since Thursday and hospitalizations hit record high 93,000 

2 months ago

Hermez Network integrates Tether (USDT) for low-cost payments

6 days ago

GBBO viewers left in hysterics after Prue Leith’s comment about baker’s ‘very large nuts’ 

4 months ago

Romain Grosjean: Haas driver ‘saw death coming’ in crash

2 months ago

Categories

  • Australia
  • Business
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Deals
  • Discounts
  • Economie
  • Euro
  • Gaming
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • Trending
  • Uncategorized

Topics

bbc bbc health cnn ar business dailymail dailymail australia dailymail heath dailymail money dailymail sport day 7 euronews Health IGN rt arabic usa today usa today money usa today sport Women Fashion
No Result
View All Result

Highlights

Kmart shoppers discover the mind blowing hidden purpose of a popular Kmart backpack

Trump awards the Bahraini monarch the Medal of Merit with the rank of Commander in Chief

Will this new £5 mask kill the Covid virus?

Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka score for Gunners

GV Snowshoes Wide Trail Snowshoe, 12 x 33-Inch

How the coronavirus pandemic made America’s richest even richer

Trending

Lifestyle

Anthea Turner’s sister Wendy reveals how she found a way out of her despair 

by souhaib
January 18, 2021
0

Anxiety and depression have been part of TV presenter Wendy Turner-Webster’s life for just about as...

Premier League predictions: Lawro v Cassia bassist and Man City fan Lou Cotterill

January 18, 2021

Arctix Men’s Snow Sports Cargo Pants

January 18, 2021

Kmart shoppers discover the mind blowing hidden purpose of a popular Kmart backpack

January 18, 2021

Trump awards the Bahraini monarch the Medal of Merit with the rank of Commander in Chief

January 18, 2021

Follow us on social media:

UK Jobs

Recent News

  • Anthea Turner’s sister Wendy reveals how she found a way out of her despair 
  • Premier League predictions: Lawro v Cassia bassist and Man City fan Lou Cotterill
  • Arctix Men’s Snow Sports Cargo Pants

Category

  • Australia
  • Business
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Deals
  • Discounts
  • Economie
  • Euro
  • Gaming
  • Lifestyle
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • Trending
  • Uncategorized

Recent News

Anthea Turner’s sister Wendy reveals how she found a way out of her despair 

January 18, 2021

Premier League predictions: Lawro v Cassia bassist and Man City fan Lou Cotterill

January 18, 2021
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2020 - TrendsWide

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
  • News
  • Business
  • Culture
  • National
  • Sports
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Opinion

© 2020 - TrendsWide