Fan or customer? How clubs have treated supporters will become clear on vital issue of ticket refunds - Liam Hoden column

And it will be the clubs that have truly embraced the notion that will benefit the most.

The future of the game, and many individual clubs in particular, is balanced on a financial knife-edge due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its potential long term impact on football.

Income streams evaporated overnight, with matchdays - the biggest cash generators - gone.

And, in their previous form at least, they are not coming back any time soon.

But, like on-field matters, clubs will be most concerned about the here and now financially rather than dealing with what is to come in the future.

With the upcoming return to action of the Premier League and Championship behind closed doors, plus final decisions over the fates of League One and League Two coming in the next few days, there has been plenty of attention put on the issue of tickets that have already been purchased.

Individual match tickets, season tickets for this season and for next.

Few clubs have revealed their full programme of rebate options to supporters as they themselves await the finer details of how this season will be played out.

Many will heed the warning inadvertently generated by Sunderland, whose initial stance on refunds drew tremendous backlash on Wearside and beyond.

In an industry where so much money is involved, football remains a hand-to-mouth operation, even at the top level.

In most cases, income is spent before it has actually arrived, with budgets drawn up based on expected sales and prize money.

It is why, over the next few weeks, you are likely to see some clubs make the same PR blunder that Sunderland did.

There will be a desperation to avoid handing out refunds - simply because in reality that money is long gone.

It has not been taken account of in liabilities because the situation in which we are currently living is unprecedented in modern times.

In short, clubs never expected to be in a position where they would need to hand out hundreds of thousands of pounds of refunds. And it is difficult to blame them - though it does offer a worrying reminder of how unstable football finances are and how desperate the need is for reform.

Clubs will need that ticket money. If they have to give it back, it will send plenty out of business - however well they have been run in recent times.

Of course, they will not be able to stop people claiming back money spent. Nor should they at a time when the vast majority of people are experiencing their own financial challenges.

But they will be doing their best to call on loyalty and love to shine through when supporters are making their decisions over potential refunds.

And in those instances it will be a case of reaping what you sow.

Clubs will desperately need people to think like fans rather than customers in the next few months.

And they will find out exactly whether people feel they have been treated as such over the last few years.

Supporter engagement has been one of the big buzz words in the game for several years. Whether there has been any substance in it at each club or whether it has simply been a box ticking exercise will become apparent soon enough as tough decisions are made.

Loyalty can be blind, certainly in football. But it should never be taken for granted.

Clubs are about to find out whether they have done.

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