Government officials were warned yesterday that ordering fixtures to be played behind closed doors could lead to financial ruin for clubs in certain sports and leagues.

The government held a meeting with sporting administrators and broadcasters to discuss the impact of coronavirus. While they said there were no plans yet to postpone fixtures or ban spectators from attending them, governing bodies were told to explore contingency plans should the government need to take those steps.

The prospect of clubs being denied the revenue provided by selling tickets provoked deep concern from the English Football League (EFL), who represent football in the lower divisions, and from sports such as rugby league, who fear that its clubs would be made bankrupt by the loss of gate receipts