The chairman of Lichfield RUFC has warned the club “will struggle” in the coming months if COVID-19 restrictions continue.
Staffordshire has moved to Tier 2 restrictions today (31st October) and reports in the national media suggest another full national lockdown could be on the horizon.
Paul Massey, chairman of Lichfield RUFC, said previous restrictions had already forced the club to reduce overheads in a bid to manage the financial impact.
But he warned ongoing restrictions could make for difficult times at Cooke Fields.
“The club continues to operate on a very much reduced income and while we have received some grants and loans and also reduced our operating costs as far as realistically possible, we will struggle in coming months if we can’t resurrect old, or generate new, income streams.
“Obviously any additional restrictions on what we can do in the clubhouse to generate bar takings will make this even worse.
“While we can’t generate income from most of the usual activities linked to playing matches then we have to look for alternatives.
“We have had some success in hiring out both the club rooms and the car park to local businesses, but we are always looking out for more opportunities.”
Paul Massey
The current coronavirus restrictions mean the club has also seen on the field activities disrupted.
“Unfortunately, any return to normal playing activities still seems unlikely for many months, but across all sections we continue to do as much as we possibly can while staying within the everchanging guidelines.
“A big thank you to director of rugby Dan Hemingway and all of the many coaches for the hard work involved in delivering quality sessions, while carefully navigating all the latest restrictions.”
Paul Massey
