Leigh Pomlett: Walsall plan to ride out the storm
Walsall chairman Leigh Pomlett insists the club are planning for both the short-term and long-term to ensure they ride out the coronavirus storm.
With fixtures currently suspended indefinitely, clubs across all league are facing financial challenges.
Pomlett recently announced that the ‘majority’ of the club’s staff are on furlough, while conversations are ongoing between the PFA and EFL to allow the club to furlough their footballers – and the chairman has highlighted the work going on behind the scenes to keep the club in shape.
“It’s a financial management, almost on a micro basis,” he said.
“At 10am and 2pm every day we review the business and review the cash and plan for a six-month horizon and a three-month horizon, so that we have a plan depending on how long the coronavirus lasts.
“We’re working very hard as a team to make sure that we manage the consequences of this.”
Meanwhile, when asked if he believes some clubs could fold because of the financial implications, Pomlett believes it is ‘possible’ due to poor ‘business models’ at other teams.
“It’s possible, if you have a wage bill that exceeds your revenue, which some clubs have,” he added.
“We don’t, we have a wage bill that’s controlled well below our revenue, but I know some clubs have a wage bill higher than their income – just the wage bill of the players that is.
“By any standards, running a football club or running anything else, is an unsustainable business model.
“We don’t do that at Walsall and we never have.”
