Coronavirus: EFL cannot expect Premier League bailout - Plymouth boss Ryan Lowe
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Ryan Lowe's Plymouth Argyle are unbeaten since being promoted to League One in the summer
Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe says English Football League clubs cannot expect the Premier League to financially support them.
EFL clubs face a loss of up to £250m after not being able to play in front of fans since March due to Covid-19.
Last week Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden suggested the Premier League could support lower-league sides.
"We can't expect the Premier to give us [Argyle] £1m or £2m or any sort of clubs any money," Lowe said.
"They're spending fortunes on players, but that's their business.
"A League One club or a League Two club wouldn't give the local non-league club £200,000-300,000 for nothing.
"It's part and parcel of football, we just can't expect to be given money from the Premier League."
The government has agreed a funding package with clubs in the National League in order to allow their season to begin this weekend behind closed doors.
Those clubs are classed as playing at elite level, but have little income beyond what they generate on a matchday.
But Lowe believes EFL clubs should be allowed to let some supporters back into stadiums in order to generate some revenue of their own.
Last month clubs piloted a return of fans, but the pilots were halted by the government after a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases.
"I don't want to get into a slanging match with the government, but this ground is the safest place you'll step into. We come into work every day knowing it's safe, everything's wiped down, all the sprays are out, the lads are all tested, everywhere's clean," said Lowe.
"For us, let the fans in to generate some money."
He added: "The government just needs to make sure the safety requirements are there and say 'you're allowed 5,000, or in our case, we'd need 8,000 to 10,000.
"We could get 10,000 in here, at a push, in terms of still being two metres away, you could have 8,000 easily."
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