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A club outside the championship at Merseyside will see the return of football enthusiasts this weekend “who have supported them in difficult times” in the lockout.
Prescot Cables FC, which plays at the eighth level of English football, welcomes stalwart fans, citizens and outdoor groups at home, which opened in 1906.
But since March, like many other non-league clubs, Prescot Cables has felt that it has an effect on the blockade and has been affected, as they have lost all revenue resources.
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The club had to rely on the generosity of fan donations to make sure there was “always a club where other people could come back” once it did.
And tomorrow Saturday, August 22, Prescot Cables, in spite of everything, will see the return of football with the fans for the first time in months, for a pre-season friendly with Radcliffe.
Co-club president Matt Roberts said: “In March, when the closure happened, it closed.
“It’s not just the look of football, it’s also the functional aspect.We lost all revenue.
“It’s hard. We are a circle of relatives at the end of the day.
“Enthusiasts themselves don’t exist, they are, but we’re a family football circle outside the league.”
With no matches played since March 14 and cancelled for the rest of the season, the club has lost a quarter of its source of income of the day, although it feels the effect of closing its reception rooms.
In June, Roberts told ECHO that the biggest challenge was the uncertainty about when the club could play again, with the government focusing on reviving the Premier League and the championship.
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Since then, Prescot Cables has played two pre-season friendlys, one away from home and one at home without amateurs, but the atmosphere has been the same.
Mr. Roberts said: “It was very strange, so I can’t believe what it was like for the players. You put down a purpose and there is no one to applaud.
“We’ve had games where we’ve lost and the enthusiasts are us and we’ve reversed the trend and scored two goals.”
For tomorrow’s game, two hundred tickets were created to be purchased online on a first-come, first-served basis and participants were assigned a time interval to ensure there was no queue on Hope Street or Eaton Street.
The main points of purchase will also be stored for tracking and traceability, as per government recommendation and volunteers will be available for security.
According to the guidelines, there will also be a one-way formula placed around the floor and hand sanitist stations.
Roberts said the club had worked hard to put everything in place, but that it was imperative to get it right the first time.
He said we “told everyone” that we put it all together, but we want you on game day because we only have one chance.”
“If it doesn’t happen well, we can’t just fix it next time.We may face sanctions from the League, the FA or the local council.”
“Amateurs, volunteers and players: their protection is paramount to us.
“There is a lot of certainty to make sure everything is safe, however, it will be even more attractive to see enthusiasts appear.”
Although he felt “mixed emotions” about tomorrow’s game, Roberts thanked enthusiasts for his continued Array, which received donations through an online crowdfunder, as well as the Knowsley Council and other governing bodies.
He said: “From the board, we can’t thank the local network and enthusiasts enough for what they’ve done for us.
“We are not doing this for non-public benefit, it is only for the sake of Prescot Cables and we have all been supported in those difficult times.”
Tickets will be available from 6 p.m.tonight, Friday, August 21. For more information, click here.