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Ipswich Town manager Paul Lambert has revealed that he will be deferring his wages in an effort to aid other staff at the club. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a huge amount of uncertainty, with all EFL fixtures suspended until the 30th April at the earliest – though reports have suggested it will be later than that.

It is thought Ipswich could be set to lose £500,000 in income from gate receipts (£100,000 per each of their five remaining games at Portman Road) if the season is abandoned or concluded behind closed doors.

The EFL has provided a £50 million relief package in an effort to provide support for clubs, with £433,000 understood to be available for those in League One.

However, football finance academics have predicted that package will only support clubs until the end of April.

Clubs will be looking to reduce running costs over the next few months and some clubs, such as Leeds United, have already agreed for their players to take pay cuts.

Writing for The Telegraph, Lambert revealed that he was set to defer his wages to ensure staff at all levels of the club are able to be financially supported and do not lose their jobs.

He said: "We are all experiencing an incredible situation across the world and a wage deferral is the least I can do as a football manager.

"I am desperate to help in any way I can, and myself and the coaching staff are all happy to assist the club in these difficult times."

When, or perhaps if, the season resumes, Lambert will be looking to get his side's play-off push back on track.

The Tractor Boys have slipped down the table since the turn of the year and now find themselves 10th, seven points away from the top six.

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The Verdict

These are really difficult and uncertain times for football clubs all across the county and gestures such as this one from the Ipswich boss are exactly what is necessary.

Lambert is deferring his wages, which suggests he will collect them at a later date, but cash flow problems are likely to be an issue at the moment, so this is a strong gesture that he deserves credit for.

At this point, how, when, or if the 2019/20 campaign will be concluded remains uncertain. It will be interesting to see how things develop over the next few weeks.