The Scottish footballing authorities have sanctioned paying out £1.5 million early to help clubs deal with the financial shortfall caused by the Coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.
Some clubs in Scotland haven’t had the income generated by a home fixture since as far back as the first weekend of the month, and the lack of money coming into coffers could cause teams all across the country some serious financial hardship.
As we told you earlier this week, Hearts owner Ann Budge has already revealed the Tynecastle club have anticipated losing over £1 million due to the Covid-19 outbreak, and now the SFA Board have stepped in to lend a much-needed helping hand.
As revealed in a statement on the SFA website this afternoon, an amount of around £1.5 million in early payments from club licensing and Club Academy Scotland funds – cash which clubs would usually receive near the end of the year.
Club licensing payments to each club will vary according to the level each club is at – entry, bronze, silver, gold or platinum.
Meanwhile, clubs which are part of the partially-SFA-funded Club Academy Scotland (CAS) system, which governs the development of young players, will receive 50% of their annual fees now. At elite level this includes Aberdeen, while at performance (progressive) level it includes Caley Thistle and Ross County.
It remains to be seen if these payments will be enough to see some clubs through the crisis, or how long we’ll be forced to put up with a football blackout.
But what do you think of the payout?
Let us know in the comments section below…
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