Football chiefs consider lunchtime kick-offs in winter to save on energy bills

dailystar.co.uk:

lower league football teams, once again, find themselves in a very precarious position, as a result of the current financial climate in Britain.

A new survey from football reform group Fair Game, understands the introduction of extra 12pm kick offs would be of great financial use to other EFL clubs and those further down the footballing pyramid.The logic behind these sentiments is rooted in the fact flood lights would not need to be used if matches are played at lunchtime.

A significant proportion of clubs consulted within the review believe this could be a quick and effective solution, as football teams wait and see if the government’s recent pledges to support businesses with rising energy costs will benefit them in the future.Read More: Football punter bags £30k from acca of eight draws after 94th-minute equaliser According to Fair Game’s survey, 63% of the 40 clubs consulted would consider using more lunchtime kick offs if they were given permission.

This survey also included 12 teams in the EFL, while the rest were made up of other sides in the pyramid.However, Fair Game chief executive believes more action will need to be done if clubs are not going to disappear into the abyss. "The results paint a very bleak future for football outside the top echelons of the game,” Couper said. "Having survived the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis could well be the death knell for the hard-working community clubs lower down the pyramid."Lower-league football clubs are the heartbeat of their communities, but right now they are in intensive care.