Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan says the prospect of having to play games behind closed doors at Elland Road will present a big financial worry for the club.
It is starting to look inevitable that games will be played behind closed doors once the current season resumes, with recent reports even suggesting that the entirety of next season could also be played without fans actually in stadiums.
Given the amount of revenue generated by those supporters coming through the turnstiles, that is something that is likely to concern plenty of clubs across the country, and Whelan believes that Leeds are no different in that respect.
Speaking to Football Insider about the implications of playing behind closed doors for Leeds, Whelan said: “The fans bring in a massive income to the club, that’s just a fact. They keep the club running – week in, week out, home and away games, what they pay over the season, it’s quite incredible, it’s a huge loss.
“It’s going to have a massive impact financially on these clubs. You think about players’ wages and everything else that comes into play.
"There will be a lot of debt and not a lot of profit coming into the football club. That’s what they’ve got to look at."
Indeed, Whelan feels that such a situation would also have an effect on the pitch for the club's players, as he added: “With no fans there, not only will it be a strange environment to play your football in but it’s going to be worrying times for football clubs in general.”
Leeds are currently top of the Championship table, seven points clear of third-placed Fulham in the race for automatic promotion, with nine games of the season still to be played at some point.
The Verdict
This will definitely be a problem for Leeds if the current situation continues for some time.
While the size of the club and its fanbase means they may be in a strong position to cope with this financially to begin with, it also means that in the long run, they will be losing out significantly in terms of the revenue they make from home games.
With that in mind, you feel they will be desperate to secure their promotion to the Premier League as soon as possible, given the revenue boost that could give them in terms of prize money and broadcasting rights fees, could help them overcome the current difficulties they are facing.