Grassroots football clubs have been forced to shut again as part of the second national lockdown, a move which has been widely criticised nationally.
Many Football Clubs have launched fundraising campaigns in order to replace the income lost from matchday fixtures.
Lancashire’s Daisy Hill Football Club fundraising page pulls no punches about the impact of coronavirus on its finances, stating the club is raising money “to help with essential, major building repairs and renovations, and to survive through the uncertainty of the Covid19 pandemic”.
It adds that the club is under threat and its loss would be blow to history of the community it serves.
The fact of the matter is – football indeed provides communities with a myriad of essential needs. It is no surprise that during hardship the football family contracts into the haves and have nots. Illustrating the absurdity of the ‘football family’ label.
Committee members and managers at Breightmet United, Bolton, have been putting their own money into the club as parents also feel the pinch during covid, with the national lockdown forcing non-elite football clubs to shut for four weeks.
James Moscrow, junior secretary at Breightmet United said: “It is a massive shame that we have had to shutdown again, we had kids in training on Wednesday in actual tears saying they wanted to carry on playing.
“We have had quite a few parents contact us saying they are struggling during this time with the covid pandemic, so the club has announced they are not going to charge subs.
“We have been doing some fundraising but it has been mainly down to the committee, there are about nine on the committee and we and the manages have put money towards the club.”
He urged people to support grassroots football when it is back on.
This resonates with clubs around the world. Will the day ever come when the Football Family will support the Game and therefore truly support every member of the Family?