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Opinion

This is very impressive from Steve McClaren – I haven’t said that too often

4 years ago
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Steve McClaren is one of the very worst managers (head coaches…) Newcastle United have ever had in my lifetime.

Like far too many appointed under Mike Ashley, given a job that was way above his capabilities.

However, I have actually always thought that away from the actual football (away from NUFC!) he does often come over as a canny bloke.

After his latest media appearance, my opinion of the man has increased significantly.

The former NUFC boss talking about the challenges to football presented by the Coronavirus.

Steve McClaren declaring: ‘I think this is a perfect opportunity of where in crisis everybody comes together. The community, football, everybody…’

The one-time England boss saying that it is a duty of all parties to try and ensure no football clubs end up folding due to the issues caused by the virus.

McClaren adding: ‘…we have to pull together and help each other through this crisis. Out of adversity comes opportunity. This is an opportunity for people to bond and get through this crisis together.’

Maybe this will be the true test of the football industry, especially those with the finances and/or the power. Can they/will they do everything  they can to try and ensure we don’t lose clubs?

Of course, when we say lose clubs, we also mean, people losing their livelihoods.

You can see what it did to Bury fans when their club was taken away from them, a big part of the community disappearing. As well as the jobs directly lost at a football club if it folds, you also see a massive impact on so many other businesses, as also was the case at Bury especially for those that relied on matchday business for a significant portion of their takings.

Here’s hoping everybody in football rises to the challenge set by Steve McClaren.

Steve McClaren talking to Sky Sports:

“I think this is a perfect opportunity of where in crisis everybody comes together.

“The community, football, everybody…

“There is enough money in the game to be spread around and especially in crisis.

“We don’t want to see the lower clubs going out of business.

“Football is, for some people, a massive priority.

“It is community, it is social, it is what blends and puts people together, so we cannot lose our football clubs, especially at the lower end.

“There is enough money from government, from FIFA, from UEFA, from the Premier League, from the EFL…there’s enough to go around and we have to pull together and help each other through this crisis.

“Out of adversity comes opportunity.

“This is an opportunity for people to bond and get through this crisis together.

“What we’ve got to make sure is that at the end of it, we haven’t lost any of the football clubs that we already have.”

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