Blackpool South MP calls on government, FA and the EFL to 'save professional football as we know it'

The Conservative MP has signed the letter alongside 17 other MPs and former FA chairmen Greg Dyke and Lord Triesman.

Sunderland co-owner Charlie Methven and Grimsby Town chairman Philip Day are also among the signatories.

The letter, written by the former chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Damian Collins, calls for urgent talks on the issue of football finance.

“We may only have a few weeks to save professional football in this country as we know it,” the letter reads.

“The shock of the Covid-19 crisis has badly exposed the weak financial position of clubs in the English Football League, many of whom were already on the edge of bankruptcy.

“For clubs in League One and League Two in particular the loss of match day revenue and money from the sale of season tickets is a major blow that some will not be able to survive.”

It added: “There is a great urgency now for an agreement on a rescue package for clubs in distress, and this will require the resources of both the football authorities and the government.

“However, this should also recognise both the short-term requirement for cash and the longer-term need for much greater oversight and financial affairs of the clubs, including the opportunity for more supporters and communities to acquire a stake in them.

"If nothing is done to provide financial support to football, clubs with old and famous names will almost certainly go into administration within weeks."

While the Premier League and Championship are nearing a return to action, clubs in the third tier are still yet to determine how the 2019/20 season should be concluded.

Discussions are ongoing and a pivotal vote is expected to take place early next week.

League Two clubs, meanwhile, have already agreed to end their campaign with immediate effect.

With a lack of match day revenue and season ticket sales, this has increased fears that several clubs could go to the wall.

Last week, Huddersfield Town owner Phil Hodgkinson warned that as many as 50 or 60 clubs could go bust due to the impact of the coronavirus.