What Has the Cost of Coronavirus Been for Football?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In March, we marked the anniversary of the first coronavirus lockdown.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was a step into the unknown for everyone. And that everyone included football clubs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With competitive football cancelled and large gatherings banned altogether, things had never looked more precarious for the beautiful game.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fast forward a year and things are starting to look a little more positive. This week, organised games were allowed for the first time in 2021. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But is football ever going to be quite the same again? Will the game continue to command the same sorts of fees? The same audience share? The same financial pull?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, we ask: what has the cost of coronavirus been for football?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Guest:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kieran Maguire (<a href= "https://twitter.com/KieranMaguire">@KieranMaguire</a>) is a lecturer at the University of Liverpool and one of the hosts of the Price of Football Podcast (<a href= "https://twitter.com/POF_POD">@POF_POD</a>).</span></p> <p>Support Us:</p> <p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/FootballToday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.patreon.com/FootballToday</a></p> <p>Follow Us:</p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/FT_Podcast_" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">@FT_Podcast_</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footballtodaypodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.FootballTodayPodcast.com</a></p> <p>Music:</p> <p>The music for this episode was provided under the Creative Commons license by <a href="http://www.sessions.blue/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Dot Sessions</a>.</p> <p>Individual Tracks:</p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Plasticity - RadioPink</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our Lament - Moon Juice</span></p> <p><span style="