STEVE Kavanagh is hopeful fans will be back at The Den at full capacity next season as the club plans for 2021-22 season tickets and membership to go on sale “in a few weeks’ time”.
Yesterday (Monday, March 8) marked the first day of the government’s ‘roadmap’ out of the third lockdown, with students returning to classrooms and the easing of some social restrictions.
Supporters made a brief return this season for two games – at a capacity of 2,000 – the only times they have been at The Den since February 29, 2020.
Lions CEO Kavanagh also intends to put the club forward in a bid to host pilot events, which could happen before the end of this season.
“Since the Prime Minister revealed details of the government’s roadmap we have been able to really begin looking ahead to 2021-22 which we hope will start with full stadia,” Kavanagh wrote in a letter to fans on Millwall’s website. “With this in mind we are finalising discussions around the club’s strategy for season tickets and memberships, and we anticipate going on sale with one if not both in just a few weeks’ time.
“Your support for the club throughout this entire pandemic has been nothing short of outstanding and believe me when I say that the management, players and all other staff are every bit as excited about seeing the stands full once again as you all will be about your return to The Den.
“Before then, though, there is the prospect of pilot events in football and we would again be delighted to host one or more if selected towards the end of this campaign. We’re not yet sure what format such pilots would take, or whether EFL fixtures would be in contention as part of the government’s plans, but we certainly hope so and will await further guidance from DCMS and other bodies.
“For us, revenue generated through iFollow subscriptions, match pass sales, the Lions Loyalty Club and other commercial initiatives has been incredibly important, and I thank everyone who has contributed to one or more of those streams.”
Kavanagh revealed the club are taking legal action over what they see as a “failure” by their insurers.
“In a separate issue, but one linked to club finances, I can confirm that we have engaged with legal representation over the failure (in our opinion) of our brokers with regards to our Business Interruption insurance,” Kavanagh explained. “We’re not the only football club or indeed business to have suffered as a result of this and will continue to work hard in order to receive what we feel we are rightly and fairly owed.”
Kavanagh paid tribute to John Berylson, and also revealed Millwall’s owner has been vaccinated.
He said: “I also cannot articulate just how indebted we are to our chairman, John Berylson, for the way in which he continues to support the club year after year, but never more so than in the past 12 months. In my view we have the best chairman in English football for so many different reasons and hopefully he too can be back at matches sooner rather than later when restrictions are lifted, especially as he’s now fully vaccinated.”
Meanwhile, Kavanagh has called for tighter financial rules around clubs, including the stopping of the sale of grounds to raise cash.
“As a club we continue to be of the belief that far stricter and more comprehensive regulations need to be in place – and be properly enforced – in order to ensure that no club and set of fans falls foul of irresponsible ownership or management,” Kavanagh said.
“It remains to be seen what changes, if any, will be made to profit and sustainability regulations moving forward, although surely the selling of club stadia must be stopped. We all know competing in the Championship is difficult and financially challenging but the very future of clubs must not be put at risk and we certainly won’t allow the existence of Millwall to be gambled away in this manner.”
Kavanagh hit out at the lack of financial support for more than a year as EFL clubs continue to be deprived of their main revenue source, gate income.
“A lot has been made publicly about the Premier League bailout for the EFL, which has served to add to existing frustrations and difficulties around finances during the pandemic. The truth is that in the Championship this was a loan to pay back HMRC debts that clubs had built up.
“We were then informed that the loan was being sourced from the government, which is ironic in itself, and that the Premier League’s involvement was to pay the interest.
“All that being said, the government effectively blocked the loan by trying to enforce undeliverable conditions anyway so the lack of financial support, which has lasted a year, continues, and we remain solely reliant on our chairman and other revenue streams which are wholly incomparable to what they are during normal times.”
Image: Millwall FC