Huddersfield Town owner Phil Hodgkinson has warned that '50 or 60 football clubs could cease to exist' due to the current situation.

Two months after the last Football League fixture was played, and the future of football is still very much uncertain. Finishing the season is only half the battle, the other half according to Hodgkinson is what happens after that:

"If we don't come to an agreement there will be no football pyramid," he told BBC Sport. "There are clubs I know of that are only still trading because they are deferring wages and [tax] and other creditors. They will need paying at some point."

Teams throughout the Football League are already subservient to those in the top-flight in terms of funding, and given the vast lending and furloughing that's beset the pandemic, it makes many clubs vulnerable to long-term instability.

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"There is an absolutely real, stark probability that if something isn't agreed now within football to ensure all clubs can pay their bills and get through to the point where income is resumed, you will be looking at 50 or 60 clubs ceasing to exist," finished Hodgkinson.

Nothing that's been said or tabled during the season's break has been too shocking. Many realise that the current climate could be fatal for many clubs and what's more is that a lot of them were already suffering financially before the pandemic.

The key to surviving seems to be gate receipts. The lack of has thrust clubs into debt within weeks and it's a possibility that the entirety of next season will be played behind-closed-doors as well.

The verdict

As pessimistic as it is, expect to see a lot of clubs fold in the next few years. The trend was already underway - given the Bury example - and it'll speed up dramatically if the global situation remains much longer.

For now it's just about getting the game back underway, but clubs should be preparing for the worst case scenario as Hodgkinson has warned.