MANCHESTER UNITED’S EXECUTIVE vice-chairman Ed Woodward has voiced confidence about the “underlying strength and resilience” of the Premier League club as it navigates the “big challenges and uncertainties” created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Woodward said recent months had demonstrated the “special role that sport plays in our societies” and he was proud of how the club continues to respond.
Speaking Wednesday after the release of the club’s annual financial results, Woodward highlighted the club’s commitment to welcoming fans back to Old Trafford as soon as it is safe. He also stressed the club’s desire to help address the financial challenges created by the pandemic for the wider English football pyramid, and to work with other clubs to strengthen the national game for the long term.
Commenting on recent discussions about the financial challenges facing many English clubs, particularly smaller ones, Woodward said Manchester United had been “playing an active role in those discussions because we strongly believe in supporting the English football pyramid, both in the short term, to address the issues created by COVID-19, and in the long term to improve financial sustainability at all levels of the game.
“There will always be intense debate around any changes to the structure of football, just as there was before the formation of the Premier League 28 years ago. Now, at this critical juncture for the game, we must ensure that the huge success of the Premier League is reinforced while ensuring that the wider football pyramid continues to thrive in a rapidly changing media environment.
“Achieving this will require strategic vision and leadership. We are pleased that the Premier League has committed to work together on a plan for the future structures and financing of English football. Now it must deliver on that promise, and we are committed to playing a leading role in pushing that process towards a successful outcome.”
Woodward also highlighted the importance of getting fans back into stadiums as soon as it is safe. He said the club’s plans for reopening Old Trafford to supporters were “well advanced and we are confident of ours and the whole league’s ability to welcome them back in a safe, bio-secure environment.
“Crowds have been permitted to return to varying degrees in over 20 European countries, albeit with significant capacity restrictions to allow for social distancing, and we urge the UK government to follow these positive examples as soon as it is safe to do so.
“While we recognise that public health must always be the priority, what is needed is consistency of approach. If people are allowed to sit in a plane for hours, or in the cinema, or even watch football in a cinema, why not outside in a stadium environment which is professionally managed and controlled? If indoor concerts are allowed, why should outdoor, socially-distanced football fans be treated differently? Fans are the bedrock of this game and some of the inconsistencies out there are frustrating for them and for the clubs.”
