Non-league football is always tough for clubs financially but even more so since the world has been crippled by the Coronavirus pandemic all games have been suspended for the foreseeable future.
Handsworth FC, who play in the ninth tier of English football in the Northern Counties East Premier Division will be one of the teams who are now under serious financial difficulties.
Handsworth’s vice-chairman Stephen Holmes said the club was now struggling after they invested in a new full-size 3G football pitch at their Olivers Mount ground.
Holmes said: “Income from the (3G) pitch is vital for the club, it’s not there to subsidise the club it’s there to pay for itself.
“Obviously, with nobody using it, we’ve got quite a sizable hole in our projected budget for the pitch.
“With no income coming in from it for the foreseeable future, it’s going to be a significant hole in our business plans.
“It’s really hit us hard but it’s the right thing to do to make sure that everybody is safe and secure, sometimes there are more important things than money, that’s how we are looking at it at this moment in time.“
With football being suspended until April 30 at the earliest Handsworth’s first-team are no longer in training after the Ambers‘ board decided to close the Olivers Mount site completely after the grassroots directive was released.
Holmes admitted that the club are unlikely to play again this season and he hopes Handsworth’s players can keep healthy both body and mind wise.
Holmes said: “I think realistically looking at the fact the season postponed until at least the April 30, I think we can kiss goodbye to kicking a ball again this season, I think it’s just a case of trying to keep them all fit in their bodies.
Holmes added: “I think the hardest thing at the minute is trying to keep everybody fit in mind.
“August to April everybody’s life is around football, I think it’s such a difficult scenario for everybody, from everywhere around the club from volunteers to players our job is to make sure they are not feeling lost or alone.
Holmes said the Ambers won’t be the only club struggling at their step nine level.
Holmes said: “There’s going to be some clubs, who aren’t community focused such as ourselves and are just a single team, I think they’ve got serious issues, they are probably reliant on match-day income more than anything as we are but we’re on a different side.
With nearly 30 teams under the Handsworth name at junior levels and above Holmes said the lack of football action will provide a tough task for the club.
Holmes said: “We’ve got 27 teams to try and sustain, it’s not going to be easy but I think the whole football community are waiting with bated breath to see if things do sort themselves out sooner rather than later then at least we know what we’re planning to.
“I think the hardest thing at the minute, there’s a variable that nobody is in control of.
“All you’ve got to do day-to-day is deal with what you can with.
There’s a song that everyone signs when they go to Wembley and its Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be and we’ll have to deal with whatever thrown at us.
“I think people are in football because they love it, there’s nobody in this game for money, certainly not at our level, if you love something you find a way for it to work, don’t you.
“That’s going to be our challenge over the next few days, weeks and years and whatever this virus throws at us, one thing will be for sure. It won’t keep us down for long.
Holmes added: “I think the whole football community will carry on regardless, the landscape might change, it might make people sit up and realise that the enjoyment of the game is more important than the money which would be a nice bonus.
The Northern Counties East League will meet online on Tuesday and Holmes expects a decision on the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign to be made.
Holmes said: “We’ve now got 17 games to play and there’s going to be no football until April 30.
“We’re not the only side with these issues, even though we’ve probably got more games outstanding then anybody else.
“Everybody’s got to be available, pitches have got to be available, a lot of clubs share with cricket clubs, where you are not allowed to play football in the summer.
“I think the people who are going to make the decisions will make the right decisions for the situation that everybody is in, we’ve got to remember the levels that we’re at millions and billions of pounds aren’t at risk for in sponsorship like in the Premier League.
With promotion and relegation still ever relevant for non-league clubs, Holmes and Handsworth will accept any ruling from the powers above.
Holmes said: “I can’t see another ball being kicked this season at our level, it’s then just the case of what do you with the leagues.
“There’s a big restructure coming in, at Step four of non-league there is a new division coming in, whether they freeze the league tables as they are or work it out using point per game or void it.
“Whatever they choose to do you’ve got to take it on the chin and move on, it’s unprecedented times, it’s time to take stock and do the best for your club.
Despite Handsworth not being in contention of promotion this season, Holmes reflected positively on a season where the Ambers sit seventeenth in the NCEL Premier Division.
Manager Russ Eagle has presented a number of first-team opportunities to youngsters, as the club wish to continue in their youthful ethos.
Vice-chairman Holmes said: “We want to prepare people for men’s football, we want to give them a shot and that’s our ethos.
“We want people to want to develop their game, it may mean we lose some through the pyramid but that’s fine.
“On the pitch, we’ve been delighted with this season, more importantly for us, investment in facilities mean that we’re future-proofing the game for years to come.
“I don’t think we’ll feel the true on-field benefit for another two or three years but then I think we will see an on-field spurt of where we’re at with the infrastructure that we’re putting in.
As well as developing on the pitch, Handsworth are keen on developing off it with the aim of the first-team returning to their spiritual home of Olivers Mount from Worksop Town’s Sandy Lane seen as a priority.
Holmes said: “We’ve got a busy summer, we’re trying desperately to get the money together, which won’t be easy in the current climate to build pitch-side facilities so that we can get the first team back to Olivers Mount so that they can play on this fantastic pitch we’ve got here, that’s ultimately our aim.
“We’d love it to be this summer, ready for an August kick-off but coronavirus has thrown a spanner in the works, make no bones about that, if there’s a will which there certainly is then there’s away.
“We’ll be doing our best one way or another to get us back to Olivers Mount, hopefully for next season, if not, we’d like the season after.
“It’s such a shame this fantastic facility isn’t hosting first-team football at the minute, so we’ll be doing our very best to make sure that it does and once we’re back at Olivers Mount I think we can start to push on with our plans, to be the very, very best that we can be.”
East Sheffield Sport 