Coronavirus will impact all of us financially says Horsham manager Di Paola

Football in Great Britain has been cancelled outright until at least April 3 because of the pandemic.

With no revenue coming in on matchdays from bar takings, raffles, club shop merchandise and programmes for a sustained period of time, clubs will be hit hard financially.

Di Paola hoped that football clubs could survive this period, but stressed that the virus had a far-reaching impact on more than just sport.

He said: “I don’t know the workings of football clubs but I think they would’ve budgeted for nine months of the season to pay for 12 months of the year to pay for operating costs.

“We have to hope that our football club is in a position financially where we can support no revenue.

“Football clubs are businesses and let’s hope the football clubs survive.

“Football clubs may have invested budgets on players and spent money, but I’ve got a friend who owns a restaurant and he’s had every booking cancelled.

“It’s a family-run business and none of them are earning an income this week.

“It’s going to affect everyone in all sorts of different ways. You just hope it passes on and people can get back to work.”