NIFL chairman Gerard Lawlor says the local game is “at a crossroads” as clubs face a struggle to survive without financial assistance.

“Unless there is some type of help or support, clubs could go out of business,” added Lawlor.

“It’s becoming grave – there is major concern within the league as to where income is going to come from.”

An attendance of 500 spectators was permitted at the Irish Cup Final in late July and NI’s Department of the Communities has been examining the viability of a return of meaningful numbers of fans.

The number of Covid cases has been rising in Northern Ireland but Lawlor expects the Irish Premiership season to go ahead even if there is a total ban of fans.

Funding required

However, the sustainability of the game is a major concern without financial aid.

“The majority of clubs have made cuts – the biggest revenue is matchday revenue and gate receipts,” said Lawlor.

“That is the lifeblood of the local game and that is being cut away. Our costs remain the same so we need some financial support.

“We’ll obviously take our case to the Irish FA but ultimately we need to be looking at the government.

“It’s not a begging bowl but we have seen the government investing in the arts and other areas – now football needs some of that money.

“I don’t want to scaremonger but the information we have is that if we don’t have spectators or very few them in the first quarter of next year five or six clubs could go out of business.”

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The Stormont Executive has not made any immediate moves after the halting of the planned return of fans to English sporting venues.

The plans which were scheduled to come into effect in England on 1 October have been placed under review following a rise in coronavirus cases.

NI’s Department of the Communities has been examining the viability of a return of meaningful numbers of fans.

This has been in consultation with sporting bodies such as Ulster Rugby.

“The Department is working with sporting bodies including Ulster Rugby and the IFA to look at the return of spectators and how that could be managed safely, which includes the possibility of test events,” said a Department of Communities spokesperson.

“The working group includes representatives from Sport NI, the Sports Ground Safety Authority, local councils and the governing bodies.

“This work has just commenced and while it will continue it is recognised that any progress on a return of larger numbers of spectators to sports grounds will have to be aligned with the Executives plans to address the surge in Covid cases, the evolving Covid restrictions and guidelines.”

An attendance of 500 spectators was permitted at the Irish Cup Final in late July.

Ulster Rugby chief executive Jonny Petrie told BBC Radio Ulster’s Sportsound Extra Time on Monday that he hoped possible pilot events could see larger numbers of supporters attending matches “over the next couple of weeks, perhaps even for the start of the Pro14 tournament” which is scheduled to start in early October.

However with Covid-19 cases increasing at an alarming in Great Britain and Ireland and the measures now been taken in England, it remains to be seen whether this is a realistic prospect.