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Exclusive: Former sports ministers unite to urge Government bailout with industry on brink of meltdown

File photo dated 19-09-2020 of Forest Green Rovers fans in arrive in PPE before the Sky Bet League Two match at the New Lawn - PA
File photo dated 19-09-2020 of Forest Green Rovers fans in arrive in PPE before the Sky Bet League Two match at the New Lawn - PA

Five former sports ministers have united to urge Boris Johnson to bail out the sector after he imposed new coronavirus curbs that left the industry on the brink of meltdown.

Sir Hugh Robertson, Lord Moynihan, Tracey Crouch, Richard Caborn and Gerry Sutcliffe all endorsed a letter from more than 100 national and grass-roots governing bodies pleading with the Prime Minister to match the rescue packages – totalling £1.57 billion – provided to the arts and restaurant sectors.

Robertson, who was sports minister when London hosted the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and is now chairman of the British Olympic Association, also called for a rethink of the scrapping of the return of fans to stadiums.

“This is really difficult for the Government, and if they carve out sector exemptions, they get accused of mixed messaging,” he told Telegraph Sport.

“But I see no reason why limited numbers of spectators should not be allowed back into sports grounds in a Covid-secure way.”

Robertson said any bailout of sport should be provided under strict conditions similar to the £175 million loan by the Bank of England to Tottenham Hotspur, who are banned from spending it on transfers.

“I would support a sector recovery plan similar to that given to the arts and other sectors but sport has to ensure that it’s only spent on essential operating costs and that all necessary cost-saving measures have been implemented first.”

Lord Moynihan, who was BOA chairman during London 2012, said any bailout should include a combination of loans, direct grants and tax breaks.

In response to sports’ letter to the Government, he said he had tabled a question in the House of Lords, which read: “To ask HMG what response it intends to make to the leaders of more than 100 sports bodies who are seeking a sports recovery fund from Government so the sector can survive and stabilise and what urgent steps it intends to take to address the mental-health challenges, high levels of obesity and poor fitness levels amongst a lost generation of young people as a result of the coronavirus epidemic.”

Crouch, who also said she also planned to ask a question on the subject in the House of Commons, has already warned historic clubs and jobs could be lost forever without a rescue package.

Those sentiments were echoed by Caborn and Sutcliffe, who said: “What we don’t want to see across a whole range of sports are businesses going to the wall that may not come back in the future.”

Caborn also urged sport to “revisit” plans for social distancing in grounds and focus instead on a testing solution to getting crowds back in – something with which he is involved via a cyber-technology company.