Rovers’ former safety chief John Newsham has warned ‘nobody’s life should be jeopardised because of money' as football considers its next step.

While clubs in Leagues One and Two seem resigned to their season’s being curtailed two months after the season was first suspended because of the coronavirus, there is still an appetite among Championship clubs to finish the season.

The Premier League is also looking towards resuming the 2019/20 campaign, knowing they would take a significant financial hit through loss of television revenue, should the game remain in lockdown and the season be brought to a close.

But Newsham, who spent 24 years as Rovers’ safety officer before leaving in 2012, says more work needs to be done on the risks associated with the game returning.

Newsham, now a consultant to the Football Safety Officers Association says its members have not been consulted fully on the ‘Project Restart’ plans of the Premier League.

All clubs now require a safety officer, but with the season suspended indefinitely, Newsham says a lot of clubs have placed such staff on furlough and therefore unable to plan for the eventuality of games resuming.

While all matches, should the game return, would be played behind closed doors, it has been suggested that upwards of 300 people would be present at games.

And Newsham said necessary consideration has to be given to the safety all staff, including the players, both inside and outside the stadium, as well as a plan on drawing up social distancing measures.

“Nobody’s life should be jeopardised because of money. If a match has to be abandoned or can’t be played due to safety concerns, it is irrelevant that it is due to be broadcast on Sky.

“It is a worry for me if the TV money is at the back of people’s minds. Lives come first, it has nothing to do with money,” he said.

The Premier League and EFL will continue to be guided by Government advice, but culture secretary Oliver Dowden said last month he wanted football to return ‘as soon as possible’ while foreign secretary Dominic Raab admitted the return of top-flight matches would ‘lift the spirits of the nation’.

But speaking to the Guardian, Newsham said: “There needs to be a lot more discussion with a lot more people.

“And a lot more risk assessments need to be carried out and practical discussions held about how it can be made safe.”