Rochdale AFC is to benefit from a council loan to help it survive the cancellation of football during the coronavirus crisis.
Games have not taken place in League One since mid-March, and clubs are currently deliberating over whether to continue the season in some form or cancel it altogether.
Smaller clubs, like Rochdale, have been hit particularly hard since large gatherings were banned, as they rely on matchday income far more than the giants of the Premier League.
But according to official papers, the council has stepped in to help the club ride out lockdown - citing the importance of sustaining ‘the borough’s sporting profile and heritage’ and enabling the club to ‘continue to contribute to wider community benefits’.