, Walsall boss predicts it will take ’12 to 18 months’ for football to return

Walsall boss predicts it will take ’12 to 18 months’ for football to return

Walsall head coach Darrell Clarke has told the Express and Star that he doesn’t think football will return to normal for another 12 to 18 months.

The effect the Coronavirus pandemic has had on football is undeniable. The season has been suspended since March and both Sky Bet League One and Two have seen their seasons cancelled early because of it. The leagues that will be continuing will be doing so without the fans as stadiums will be closed in order to curb the spread of the virus.

The impact will continue as well. It is expected that the ban on fans will continue into when next season starts, seriously reducing the amount of revenue that clubs make. This will have a knock-on effect on recruitment. Without as much money to spend, many players will be released and the fees involved will be much reduced.

Clarke isn’t sure where Walsall will be financially during this crisis but he has admitted he doesn’t see normalcy returning to football for another 12 to 18 months.

Clarke said: “We don’t know when we’re going to restart so the finances are very difficult in terms of what my final budget may be.

“I haven’t been one to make those decisions too early so recruitment goes out the window.

“They’ll be a lot of clubs going for younger players, it will take a good 12 to 18 months for it to settle down.”

He added: “It’s a good chance for football to reset. The Premier League get a lot of stick but if they can help out the clubs I think they will.

“It’s about everyone coming together, these football clubs are about community.

“You have the big guns at the top level but there’s so many clubs at the lower levels that are big communities.

“We lost Bury last year, we don’t want to be losing football clubs through this and hopefully there’s a lot of help along the way.”

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