Ipswich Town boss Paul Lambert says he fears for the future of clubs if football has to be played behind closed doors for an extended period of time.

The coronavirus pandemic has seen Leagues One and Two brought to a halt, with the Premier League and Championship set to restart without fans this week.

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Next season looks like being pushed back to September, although nothing has been confirmed – and it looks likely that even then stadiums will be empty or have very few fans allowed.

And Lambert said: “We are fortunate, we have a good owner in Marcus (Evans) and with the money he puts into the club,” the Town boss told the club website.

“It could easily be a big problem if he wasn’t here and I do fear for other clubs.

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“The game needs the fans. It’s not the same game without supporters in the stadium and the longer that goes on, the more clubs less fortunate than ourselves will find themselves in real trouble.

“If we go back and start playing again without supporters, then we will get on with it like everyone else but the most important thing is that it’s safe for the players and staff to return and then when fans do come back, they feel safe and secure coming back into stadiums.”