EFL: Newport County chairman hopes football "comes together" to help clubs
- Published
Jamille Matt competes for a header in Newport's last home game, a 1-0 win over Morecambe on 7 March
Newport County chairman Gavin Foxall hopes football will "come together" to help lower-league clubs through the coronavirus crisis.
The English Football League has released a £50m short-term relief fund to aid clubs with cash-flow issues.
But Foxall says these are trying times for teams in the lower divisions.
"You would like to think the whole football community comes together," he said.
"I am aware there are other clubs in League Two - and these have been publicised - that have struggled with paying their wages this season.
"Thankfully we haven't been in that position, but ultimately we are a business and there are not many businesses that can sustain a period of time where they are not getting the source of income but they have still got the same outgoings.
"So as a board you can imagine we are planning accordingly. The difficulty to all this of course is that generally when you put a plan in place there is a date attached to it, there is an end game, and at the moment we are not sure what that end game looks like."
The Premier League and EFL have been suspended until 30 April at the earliest, meaning League Two Newport are likely go at least two months without a home fixture.
Foxall, who was speaking on BBC Radio Wales Sport, was asked if Premier League clubs should come to the aid of sides at the other end of the professional pyramid.
"I don't think it's any great surprise that there is an enormous gulf between League Two and League One clubs and the clubs at the top level," Foxall said.
"But of course that will be a decision for (Premier League clubs) to take."
Foxall praised the EFL over the relief fund, which he says will help clubs like Newport in the "short term".
"It is absolutely welcomed and I think the EFL need to be applauded," he added.