Walsall midfielder Stuart Sinclair: It will be tough for lower league sides
Walsall midfielder Stuart Sinclair is expecting a 'tough' rest of the year for lower league clubs as they overcome the financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic.
Several Football League clubs have been hit hard by the lack of on–field action and consistent revenue streams.
The game will return on September 12, which would make it six months without games for League One and League Two clubs, and with fans only able to return in part from October, it leaves several decisions still to be made by the governing bodies.
For Sinclair, the possibility of no fans at the start of the season is a hard pill to swallow, as he expects clubs to take time to recover from the period of financial uncertainty.
"I think it will be a tough period for all the clubs, there will be lots of things going on that are out of our hands," he said.
"Working on being as consistent as possible and driving forward are probably our main aims.
"It's tough to tell, as players we don't really know or are involved behind the scenes – it's left to the people far better placed.
"I can't see it not being a tough situation, it's really hard.
"As a supporter and someone who wants to watch and be involved in football, to not have a stadium full of people is also a really tough situation – they go hand in hand.
"We'll see it unfold and there will be some ups and downs but it's about making sure first and foremost that everyone is safe and healthy as much as possible."
Meanwhile, Sinclair insists the Saddlers must aim for promotion next season.
"At any club and as a professional footballer, you pride yourself on doing your best week in, week out," he added.
"Ultimately that's what the gaffer is trying to achieve, we're a new and young squad.
"That breeds hunger and at the start of the season we wanted to do as well as we could and look for promotion, that's the nature of professional football.
"I've been fortunate to have the promotions that I've had and those moments are so special and can not be recreated anywhere else.
"To have one with Walsall would be amazing, the club is steeped in history and it's a huge club so to achieve that at the club would be amazing."
