Football has never mattered less, and its absence reflects the surreal nature of the current situation we are living through. Some day it will return and we’ll savour it as a beacon of normality. Right now, many of you working in football may be uncertain about your future, and fearful for the health of your loved ones. I hope this publication can provide a moment of escape from these worries. The FMPA is committed to helping all of those working in football who may be facing hardship, and Eamonn Salmon has done an admirable job in leading this over the past few weeks.

This is a new situation for everyone. The weeks and months ahead will continue to deliver new problems we have never faced before. Managing the health and fitness of players remotely will demand greater trust, communication and innovation amongst the interdisciplinary team in order to protect the welfare of players (and their families), while also ensuring they retain a performance edge once the football season resumes.

While football is largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of the COVID-19 pandemic, we should never underestimate its potential to have a positive influence. I have been impressed by the role many football clubs are taking to impart key public health messages to their followers. MK Dons’ players and staff must be commended for spending their weekend checking up on older Season Ticket holders over the phone, while Ipswich Town have led the way by offering their Portman Road facilities to the NHS. All of us are in this together.

We have taken the decision not to print this edition for the first time in the publication’s history. Instead, we will share it as a .pdf and open it up to anyone who would like a copy. We are hopeful it will reach as many readers as possible.

Stay safe.