Steve Gibson has expressed his belief that EFL clubs will go out of business by the end of January.

The Middlesbrough chairman gave a frank assessment of the current economic situation with clubs up and down the country heavily impact by the ongoing global pandemic.

As a result it's been over eight months since most professional clubs have been able to welcome supporters into stadiums to watch matches - a major blow for those further down the pyramid who's gate receipts are among their main sources of income.

With no imminent date set for supporters to return, Gibson fears that up to a dozen clubs in the EFL could go out of business by the end of January, with some nearing that point in the coming weeks.

Speaking to The Times, Gibson says: "We are getting closer and closer to the cliff edge, it needs people to be decisive and I don’t see that.

“We will lose clubs. If the situation continues we will lose clubs. How many? I don’t know. There will be one or two clubs near the knuckle by the end of November and I’ll be surprised in a pleasant way if no one goes to the wall by the end of November.

"I think it's improbable that clubs will not go to the wall by the end of December and I think it's highly likely that ten to a dozen clubs will have gone to the wall by the end of January.”

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Gibson added: “We genuinely believed we were going to be allowed to have spectators in the stadiums.

“At Middlesbrough we felt we could comfortably and safely have 10,000 people in. We in effect sold 10,000 season tickets and that gave us about £4 million.

“We then had a three-month pay-as-you-earn NIC (National Insurance Contributions) holiday — that was a great contribution — and then the Premier League were greatly helpful by bringing forward the solidarity payment, which was about £4.5 million. We had three chunks of money come in earlier than we should have. That is what has kept Championship and League One and League Two clubs going.

“What is happening now is clubs are running out of money. That money has been used. That is the problem. What is the solution? What I do know is it is not within the EFL powers to implement a solution."

The Verdict

It's a worrying time for everyone in the EFL.

With no end in sight to the ongoing global pandemic there's a real feeling that the struggle that clubs are going through is potentially fatal.

Steve Gibson's prediction is worrying, and the hope is that each and every club can find a way through this trying period without too many long-term hardships.