English football is preparing for a return to the dark ages – with clubs ready to beat soaring energy costs and blackouts with lunchtime kick-offs.
In a shock nationwide survey, 63 per cent of clubs – almost two in three – admitted they were considering early kick-offs to save on floodlighting costs when the clocks go back next month. And crusader Niall Couper warned: “Having survived the pandemic, the cost of living crisis could be the death knell for many clubs.”
League clubs on fixed rate energy plans expect their bills to triple this season, with the cost of operating floodlights soaring by more than £100,000-a-year alone. Campaigning group Fair Game say clubs outside the Premier League fear spiralling inflation and the national energy crisis will plunge them into oblivion.
