More than 4,000 grassroots football teams could fold within a year because of financial hardship caused by coronavirus, a report backed by former England goalkeeper David James has warned.
The average recreational club has seen revenues fall by 46 % due to a collapse in player's subs, sponsorship deals and the cancellation of fundraising events.
One in 10 of the 61 clubs surveyed for the 'State of Play' report by energy provider Utilita fear they will not survive the pandemic.
If this was extrapolated across Britain's 43,000 grassroots clubs, some 4,000 are under threat. Former England ace James is fronting a campaign to advise teams how they can save money by reducing their power usage.