The current Coronavirus outbreak has plunged the sporting world into crisis.
With practically all major events cancelled, suspended or re-scheduled it is uncertain when sport will return.
On Merseyside, the main question is if and when Liverpool will be crowned champions and when the Premier League season will resume.
However, for grassroots and amateur teams across all sports it is simply a fight for survival.
Firwood Waterloo Rugby club is one of those teams who face an uncertain future.
Pete Cureton is one of the directors at Firwood Waterloo and a life-long supporter of the club.
He explained what the current situation means for all of the various teams that are part of the club and their respective competitions.
“When the isolation idea was first announced, we initially learned that the season ended for the Men’s 2nds and 3rds,”he said.
“But this was then followed shortly afterwards by an announcement about the 1sts and Ladies.
“The season is over for all teams, but the positions about promotions and relegations is not yet clear.
“The Ladies have done a Skype interview with the RFU over their bid to remain in the Tyrell’s Premiership, but we’ll have to wait and see.”
The cancellation of the season has come as a major blow to all sides – but particularly to the Men’s 1sts who were having a great season.
Loo were third in the table and eyeing up a play-off spot before the cancellation.
The possibility of promotion has been taken from them.
However, the success of the team on the pitch seems trivial compared to the bigger issues that currently face the club.
“All the staff have been furloughed and those who have booked events have had their deposits returned,” confirmed Pete.
The club has been forced into giving the paid staff at the club leave due to government rules instructing all non-essential business’s to close.
“We have limited our outgoings to the bare minimum as we have little if not any income.
“There is the last payments of memberships by direct debit, but that is about it!”
Clubs like Waterloo’s main source of income comes from the gate on a match day.
Losing this for the foreseeable future is a major blow.
When asked about how the club is planning on getting through the current crisis, he seemed optimistic that Waterloo would survive.
“We run a 200 club and that has helped with some necessary funds.
“We have advertised on the website for more folk to join the club.
“I emailed this to members and suggested that if they did win, they could donate their winnings to the club.
“I’m all heart. As a small business, we qualify for a grant (£25k) and the government’s 80% of salary initiative so we should be okay. We’ll have to see.
“Locally, I have seen on Twitter that Marine football club have asked for donations, even the price of a pint or the admission charge.
“Surviving this emergency will be a real struggle for many sports clubs.
“We are hoping to start the annual maintenance early this year to give the pitch an extended period of growth so fingers crossed.”
The nationwide pandemic has plunged many clubs around the country into uncertainty.
How Firwood Waterloo and other small clubs will emerge the other side of this crisis remains unknown.
But help from the wider community will go a long way in helping them survive.
