Barnet crisis sparks fears for non-league clubs amid football suspension: 'This is just the tip of the iceberg'

Barnet have put all non-playing staff on immediate notice of redundancy with football suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic
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The National League have written to all their clubs asking them to disclose how much money they could lose over the coronavirus crisis, amid fears Barnet could be the first of several clubs to go out of business.

Barnet announced on Tuesday they were putting all their non-playing staff on immediate notice of redundancy as part of “emergency measures to preserve the club and ensure it remains sustainable”.

The club’s owner, Tony Kleanthous, said approximately 60 employees were being laid off as Barnet face the serious financial implications of losing matchday revenue after football was suspended.

There are fears clubs lower down the football pyramid could go bust and the executive of another non-League London club told Standard Sport: “This is just the tip of the iceberg”.

With no money coming in, Kleanthous said he had no choice but to lay off staff.

The executive of another National League club told Standard Sport on Wednesday: “There will be half the clubs left at the end of this, I’m sure there will be more Barnets.

"A lot of clubs are funded by one person, who will do it through their business. So, if those businesses are hit, then it will knock on to the football club."

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Tuesday that clubs who lose income from the suspension of matches will be eligible for Government support when he unveiled a £330billion bailout to help prop up the economy.

Sunak also suggested clubs could be given tax breaks. That could potentially provide clubs with a lifeline and the National League and English Football League are seeking more guidance on how clubs could be helped.

Sunak said: “With regard to HMRC, we activated time to pay last week, there are now 2,000 specific, dedicated officers ready to take the calls of businesses like football clubs to provide a deferral for their tax payments and an agreed schedule to pay them back.”

It is hoped Darren Currie will remain in charge at The Hive
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Barnet owner Kleanthous, who has owned the club for 26 years, said in a statement on Tuesday that they have seen a drop in crowd attendances of 50 per cent since relegation to the National League in 2018 and that they been budgeting to lose £100,000 per month.

“In order to meet the challenges ahead of us, we will have to dismantle our existing cost structure and look to rebuild for next season with a much leaner cost base,” the club said in a statement.

“We have therefore taken the difficult decision to put all Barnet FC staff on notice. This is to include all first-team coaching and backroom staff, the academy and many of the operational staff across all areas of the club.”

Head coach Darren Currie is understood to have a long notice period within his contract and, as such, should the season resume, it is hoped he will remain in charge until at least the end of the campaign.

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