Luton Town will not return to action on May 2 after The EFL today postponed football indefinitely due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The EFL and National League will also receive £125million from the Premier League, who are also set to ask their players to take a 30 per cent pay cut, and donate plus £20million to the NHS and vulnerable groups.
Matches have been suspended since the beginning of March and the earliest possible returned scheduled had been for April 30. That would have seen Luton face Blackburn Rovers two days later at Kenilworth Road.
However, Hatters chief executive Gary Sweet had already poured cold water the the possibility of that happening as the Covid-19 disease spreads across the nation, continuing to claim lives and leaving many industries shutdown.
After Sweet had last month called on the Premier League to use its £1.5billion cash reserves to help out the ‘football family,’ the Hatters announced this week that they are to furlough staff.
And today the EFL, along with all other elite competitions in the country have confirmed that football will not return ‘until it is safe to resume,’ with clubs still intent on completing all league and cup fixtures.
In a joint statement with the Premier League, Football Association and Women’s professional leagues, the Football League said: ‘Football is committed in supporting the Government’s efforts in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak and the staging of football matches in this country. It is clearly something that simply cannot happen at this time. The thoughts of everyone associated with the EFL and its member Clubs are with anyone currently affected by the coronavirus.
‘The situation will be kept under constant review with matches only returning at an appropriate point and based on the latest guidance provided by the relevant Government departments and health authorities.
‘The EFL also notes and appreciates the decision taken today by the Premier League in respect of the short-term financial relief it is to provide EFL Clubs through the advancement of solidarity payments, parachute payments and Academy Grants. These actions will have a positive impact on individual Clubs across our three divisions at a difficult and uncertain time.’
