It is clear there will be some difficult conversations to be had in the next couple of weeks and nobody should be in any doubt of the hardship this will bring to many people, warns Dover Athletic chairman Jim Parmenter

DOVER ATHLETIC chairman Jim Parmenter warns the current football suspension will bring hardship to many people in the industry.

 

The National League confirmed yesterday that their competition was suspended after Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation after five o’clock yesterday.

“Following the suspension of the National League and corresponding advice from the FA and the government, I have today instructed that all footballing and social activity within the Club will be suspended until further notice,” Mr Parmenter said in a statement on the club website.

“Crabble is ‘locked down’ and will not be open for visitors unless it is a vital matter and a prior appointment is made.

“I have already made it public that I am very concerned about the dire financial position this places our club and football at our level.  We are already seeing the effect this is having on employment within the industry.

“It is clear there will be some difficult conversations to be had in the next couple of weeks and nobody should be in any doubt of the hardship this will bring to many people.

“I am in constant contact with the League and I am hopeful, although not confident, that financial support may be forthcoming from the authorities or the Government.

“My focus must be to somehow try to ensure that the club emerges from this able to play football in the future.”

Dover Athletic’s National League rivals Barnet have released a statement earlier to announce that their non-playing staff have been served their notices in a bid to cut costs at The Hive.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, addressed football’s concerns during a press conference this evening,  announcing he is going to pump £330 billion into the UK economy during this Coronavirus outbreak crisis.

Visit Dover Athletic’s website: www.doverathletic.com