Stevenage to make young players available to help community during Covid-19 outbreak
League Two club Stevenage have revealed they're hoping to make young players available to help look after elderly people in the community during the coronavirus pandemic.
People aged over 70 could soon be told to stay at home for an extended period of time as the virus continues to spread across the country.
With professional football currently suspended until April at the earliest, Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace wants to use the club's facilities and young players to offer support to those in need.
"We have always prided ourselves on being a community club and now it’s time to show what that means. Starting immediately, we will start to work on the logistics of obtaining details of folks that will need help," he said.
"We have kitchens we are not using, we have young players that can’t play football and we have an army of youngsters that, if asked and organized properly, would be willing to help distribute meals and obtain supplies."
Stevenage are likely to suffer substantial financial losses in the absence of any matches, and according to Wallace, there's a real danger they won't be able to survive for much longer if the break extends beyond April.
"To be honest, we have no idea how the club can survive for long whilst paying players and staff with no income, but some of these folks have nobody to help them and we will make sure we are there for them," said Wallace.
"If that means we cook food and prepare snacks, that is what we’ll do. If it is getting essential supplies to them, that is what we'll do. We will be there for these people and we would encourage all local businesses in the area to join with us. If we all work together, we can avoid serious hardship to people that need the most help."