Shrewsbury CEO Brian Caldwell: £125million Covid-19 relief provides false hope

The Town CEO explained that the figure publicised by top flight bosses includes parachute payments totalling ‘around £70m’ that are handed to relegated Premier League clubs.

Caldwell revealed that eighty per cent of the figure is given to Championship clubs with 12 per cent divided among Leagues One clubs and eight per cent among League Two clubs.

The Shrews chief insisted that clubs like Town remain grateful for any financial assistance in these unprecedented times, but does not see much of the funds helping out at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

“This is advanced money for the EFL and National League, but I’ve since heard in that conference call that the money includes parachute payments that would be due to teams who have previously been in the Premier League,” Caldwell revealed.

“Believe it or not, that actually takes up more than half of the money.

“I don’t want people to think that it’s £125m, because it’s not that in real essence.

“Probably around £70m of that is parachute money so the remaining £50m or so is potentially being dropped down to the Championship, League One and League Two – which is solidarity payments that we would normally get next season.

“Everything is welcomed to assist clubs with cash flow, but it’s slightly misleading that £125m has been publicly stated by the Premier League.

“More than 90 per cent of it won’t come near clubs in League One and League Two and then the Championship clubs get 80 per cent split amongst them and 12 per cent is then for League One and eight per cent for League Two.”

The Scot also told the Shropshire Star that he sees the mid-May return date for training as an ‘optimistic best case scenario’, with the EFL planning to whizz through the remainder of the season in 56 days.

He added: “You can rest assured that the majority of that money, whether it’s parachute payments or the £50m that’s coming down to the EFL, there won’t be much coming to League One clubs.

“It gives you a bit of false hope when you read a Premier League statement that there’s £125m being transferred down to the EFL and National League.

“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, any money at the moment is good to get, but it gives you false hope when you see the £125m figure.”

Sam Ricketts’ squad have been given fitness programmes to maintain their fitness during lockdown.