Scottish game 'may just make it through' pandemic - Bryan Jackson
- Published
Bryan Jackson says football fans are "an asset not on the balance sheet"
Scottish football "might just make its way through" the coronavirus pandemic but next season "will be one of survival", says Bryan Jackson.
Jackson oversaw administrations at Dundee, Hearts and Motherwell, among other Scottish clubs.
Football has been suspended since March and tentative plans are in place for the Premiership teams to resume playing in August.
"The biggest problem is the unknown," Jackson told BBC Radio Scotland.
"The only thing you can really do is cut down your expenditure, so I do fear for players and even non-players that contracts won't be renewed and that clubs will have to slim down to survive. I think the next season is really one of survival.
"When it's football, we can never tell because we have this asset not on the balance sheet known as the hardcore fans that do everything they can to try and maintain the survival of their clubs."
Businessman James Anderson has held talks with the SPFL about financially assisting the 42 member clubs as they cope with reduced income, with games expected to be played behind closed doors when Scottish football does return.
"It's always a very difficult question as to whether there will be any formal casualties," Jackson told Lunchtime Live.
"If it wasn't the football industry and it was, say, the engineering industry, I would say, 'Yes I would expect there to be casualties'.
"It wouldn't surprise me if there wasn't any formal casualties because the industry is quite robust and might just make its way through it."