Tristan Alric – Grandstand N ° 4
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The Coronavirus pandemic that has been crippling economic activity in our country for many weeks will inevitably have serious consequences for French ice hockey in the coming months. The shutdown, before their conclusion, of all the national championships this season – from the Magnus League to the Federal Trophy – has already caused a worrying shortfall for certain clubs in France.
This is particularly the case for those who had already played some away matches in the final finals and who relied heavily on the proceeds of the home matches in front of their home crowd to offset their travel costs. Unfortunately, the brutal stopping of the competition, due to the general confinement of the country, prevented from perceiving these often vital inflows. Without forgetting that there is also a part of the financial aid from the sponsors, planned during the month of April, which has been postponed or even sometimes canceled.
If the absence of the allocation of 98e national title in Magnus League or 80e Title in Division 1 represents only a temporary freezing of the charts, the fact remains that it is the whole building, already fragile, of the French ice hockey which was strongly shaken. To take a single example, let us quote that of the club of Châlons-en-Champagne which has just officially asked to be demoted from Division 2 to Division 3 because its leaders estimated in an official press release, I quote: “that the risk of staying in Division 2 was too ambitious and they couldn’t afford it any more. ”
To remain optimistic, I would point out that, on the contrary, the Poitiers club requested authorization to leave the D3 next season to join the D2. But President Ronan Nedelec, who hopes to obtain federal agreement, intends to agree with certain other clubs to obtain from them loans of blue licenses which concern players under 23 years of age who do not have enough hours in their local teams. The latter will thus be able to come and reinforce the Poitevin workforce …
I would like to remain optimistic when I also note that, in spite of the uncertainty which hangs over the immediate future of French hockey, many clubs have nevertheless embarked again on all-out recruitments either of foreign reinforcements or of French players . But I would like to know at what price? Definitely at a discount! Because if I take for example the case of a club which evolves this season in Division 1, its payroll currently amounts to 159,000 euros in total. However, the assistance of the private partners of this club represents 100,000 euros. What if this aid were to decrease? “We sail by sight” told me its president …
The biggest problem that is likely to arise most acutely during the next season is, above all, that of financial aid that allows clubs to survive. Indeed, this essential and often vital windfall, risks diminishing sharply because local authorities (region, department, agglomeration, municipalities) will most certainly have to make a choice by first supporting in priority the companies in their sector which are in difficulty. So how high are the next grants for ice hockey going to be?
On the other hand, the vast majority of private partners who support French ice hockey clubs are small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) which have unfortunately also been victims of a sudden and prolonged shutdown of their activities. Suddenly, they may have to decrease, or even sometimes reluctantly interrupt, their aid to our clubs which are already skating on very thin ice ready to break at the slightest defect in cash.
And to finish this not very pleasing panorama, we must not also forget that many French clubs had to cancel in April or May their traditional local tournaments, which are sometimes international in small categories, and which allowed also to bring additional income into the budgets. I’m also mindful of the private internships that may also be canceled during the summer season if the grouping restrictions remain very tight. Again, the additional resources of some coaches will be severely impacted.
It remains to be seen what the FFHG, which already has a modest operating budget (6 million euros) given the small number of clubs (125) and its licensees (22,000), can do to help its way all of its affiliated clubs. It could possibly temporarily suspend the increase in the price of licenses which was to increase according to a plan established over five years. In addition, we already know that certain leagues are also considering solutions such as that of the Ile-de-France region which has decided to lower the cost of membership fees for its clubs by 25% and to extend payment terms.
So, because of this Covid-19 pandemic that has swept all the ice rinks in France, will there be more or less serious consequences for French ice hockey in the coming months? Unfortunately, we can fear it. We will have to fight and no doubt resolve to drastic savings. But I still remain optimistic about the ability of our clubs to overcome this ordeal despite the difficulties that lie ahead. Because all lovers of ice hockey, whether players, managers, referees or supporters, have in their blood another virus, which is just as contagious and just as virulent, capable of fighting adversity: that of passion for this sport! Nothing can stop this unconditional love for hockey, even if it means making concessions that are sometimes restrictive.
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| Location: Mdia Sports Loisirs | Columnist: Tristan Alric |
| Post by | 04/22/2020 10:45 AM |
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