Mowbray fears for future of game

Middlesbrough boss Tony Mowbray says the English game outside the Premier League is in danger of collapse unless something is done to make it more financially accessible to its supporters.

Mowbray has called for the Football League and Football Association to seriously consider taking measures to return the game back to its supporters. He suggested revenue from broadcasting could be used to reduce ticket prices across the board rather than topping up wage bills.

"Commercialism, probably driven by the Premier League, is forgetting the life blood of the game," Mowbray told the Northern Echo. "Lower down from the Premier League it is dying away. It is becoming more difficult because the resources aren't there."

The Boro chief also criticised the present fixture arrangements which sees the Football League currently giving clubs a number of back-to-back home dates then followed by a couple of successive away days.

"First and foremost the Football League perhaps need to look at why the fixtures have become so close together," he continued. "Historically you would play every other Saturday at home, so you would have two weeks to get ready, save enough cash to get a pint and a pie and go to the match. Now you have a game every three days."

Mowbray's comments arrive ahead of Boro's first Championship home game since a new club record low attendance of 13,377 turned up for the recent visit of Derby County.

However, he remains convinced there are still thousands of fans around the Teesside area wanting to support his side but who can no longer financially meet the expense of attending games on a regular basis.

"I don't know how you reverse the trend. I don't know the answer," he warned. "The game has to be careful of alienating the fans."

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