Freebie Friday: When the money comes first and the football comes second

Tight squeeze on finances might influence game attendance

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While you can immerse yourself in a game of football or even reading about it, sport is not immune to the pressures of the outside world. For the last three years times have been tough for a huge majority of people, clubs, supporters and anything connected to the world at large.

The interest rate rise in the UK has put many on financial alert, or maybe I should say a more increased financial alert from what has come people’s way, but none of this politics lark of the right or wrong of the situation, some of you I’m sure are asking what this has to do with football?

Well, with mortgage rates on the rise and for those that have one it’s no doubt likely their biggest expense every month so for a majority cutbacks are going to be needed in order to keep afloat, sports, leisure and entertainment are the first things to go usually.

Not all sport will suffer however, at the very top level they are almost immune with the game awash there with money from every orifice. Money incoming from supporters is pocket change to most and if that dwindles it really isn’t going to make a dent in their income.

But the lower down you go right to the bottom, while the rates won’t affect the clubs it could well affect every supporter coming through the gate in one way or another.

That could start with how many games a person can now afford to attend on a weekly, monthly, yearly basis, a tough start especially for those who see sport as an escape from every day life and it’s worries. Less money coming through the gate is the biggest loss for a club of any size that relies on gate receipts to service the club week by week.

That can lead to a lower budget for the manager, losing a member of the coaching staff to keep finances level and in turn putting more on others and reducing the performance on the pitch with less players to choose from.

Even if people are able to still commit to making every game of a season their spend might have to reduce in other areas. Less on merchandise which I know isn’t a constant spend but can still be a good size sum to pay out.

Food and drink as the easiest thing to cut out when it comes to games, if everyone did the same then the waste and loss would start to mount up across the board. That secondary spend is the all-important one for non-league clubs and if that drops then things do become harder.

Of course everyone will look at it differently and make their own cutbacks where they need to, it might fall away from things like watching football, important to mental health to get away from your own thoughts.

There’s no right or wrong answer full stop, but certainly will be more aware of the pounds and pennies in their pocket and their bank account for sure, testing times once again for all to balance the books.

Are you likely to be affected by a further squeeze on your financial situation? Are cutbacks on your mind? Will you still manage to get to games and if you do will your spend remain the same? Let me know in the comments below.