Coronavirus battle: Life means much more than football for Boro chief

Gosport Borough chairman Iain McInnes has told fans that life means more than football after the club’s promotion dreams were shattered by the coronavirus crisis.
McInnes, pictured, referenced Bill Shankly’s famously line in a statement from Privett Park reacting to the Football Association’s controversial move to end the season over the coronavirus crisis.
Thursday’s decision means there’ll be no promotion or relegation below the National League this year with the top tiers of Non-League still hoping to resume the suspended campaigns to stay in step with the English Football League.
Before the axe fell, Ryan Northmore’s Boro’s side were only three places and six points off the promotion play-off spots in the BetVictor Southern League Premier South’s table.

?| CLUB STATEMENT ON FA DECISION TO ABANDON 2019/20 SEASON:https://t.co/UDVGc1SFb0

— Gosport Borough FC (@GosportBFC) March 26, 2020

McInnes told the Hampshire club’s website: “We are all hugely disappointed by this decision. Even though we only had an outside chance of making the play-offs, Moly and the boys will be gutted not to have the chance to squeeze into them on the final furlong.
“However, we must recognise there are bigger things at stake with the current coronavirus outbreak and remember that football, despite what Bill Shankly might have thought, isn’t more important than life and death.
“As a club we are in a difficult financial situation. All of our revenue streams have dried up, literally overnight, but we still have some significant liabilities as things stand.
“The club is in dialogue with the Southern League and we are awaiting further clarification from the FA on where this decision leaves us.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further before we have received that information, but supporters can rest assured the management team here is doing all it can to keep the club afloat.”

Former Portsmouth chairman McInnes completed his takeover to secure the “long-term future” of Gosport Borough in December 2017.
Make sure you get your copy of The Non-League Paper on Sunday for all the latest news over the last seven days in one place on the impact of the coronavirus crisis on society and football’s fightback.
It’s also available from midnight on Saturdays as a pound-busting digital edition and full replica of the printed paper. Why wait!
Images courtesy of The Non-League Paper & @GosportBFC/Twitter