The 2020/21 football season will start in September - and some fans will be allowed at games, it has been claimed.

Scunthorpe United chairman Peter Swann is hopeful that supporters will be able to return - although not in as many numbers as in ‘normal’ times – with a slightly delayed start to next season.

Of course, the current season is yet to be decided. Swann’s Scunthorpe play in League Two, which has agreed to end the campaign, while discussions continue about the best way to end League One, with a vote finally expected next week. Ipswich Town are one of six clubs pushing for the season to be completed, although that looks unlikely.

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When that call is made, all thoughts will turn to when the next campaign can start - with some suggesting that the third and fourth tier seasons may have to be delayed until fans can return, such is the reliance on ticket sales at that level. And, with fears that fans may not be able to attend games until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, that could be a long way off.

But Swann told Scunthorpe Live he’s more optimistic than that,

“The beginning of August will be difficult, so you are probably looking at September at the earliest which is another three months,” he said.

“That is going to be tough for clubs to survive. If it’s the beginning of September, most clubs in this division will need money in July to help get us through until then.

“We are hoping it is September – and there is also talk of some semblance of crowds coming back if we can get our stadium in a position to do that. We will work as hard as we can in the coming months to have something in place so we can keep some sort of distance between the fans.

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“At least if we can get 2,000 in, or even 2,500 in, it’s a big help – and that is a possibility. It is something we have really got to look at.

“We have got the car parking space to have one every other space to keep people apart. I am sure we can put barriers up and systems in place so people can into the ground okay.

“We are going to work as hard as we can but, at the moment, we are just sitting here haemorrhaging money because nobody is making a decision and that is frustrating for us.”