It’s a numbers game as football operates in economy all of its own – Helen Martin

WHILE every business and entertainment struggles with Covid-19, I am rather amazed by the football world.

Jadon Sancho is a transfer target for Man United (Picture: Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Arsenal have made 55 redundancies across several of their department. Yet the club seems likely to pay a star player his rise-and-stay demand of £250,000 a week (£13 million a year).

Man United are poised to sign Jadon Sancho from Borusshia Dortmant for a reputed £110 million. These are rather interesting comparisons with the UK offering Beirut £5m to help recover from its explosion.

And Hearts and Partick Thistle paid a suggested massive amount to legally challenge their relegation (I understand the passion, but with no win and no compensation, it wasn’t economically smart).

Needless to say, I’m not a football fan, but I do realise many are loyal and obsessed with their team.

What is also becoming even more clear during the national and international impoverishment of the pandemic, plus the even worse losses and danger we will all face with Brexit, is that many football teams live in a completely different economy.

Football, and to be fair many other industries, either have a bottomless gold pot, or really believe Covid-19 is on the way out.

So do tourists who are furious that their holidays abroad have been cancelled and cruise ships are off the agenda.

Scientists believe there’s a high risk of a second wave coming in winter which they calculate at being over twice as bad as the first wave.

None of us want that, but it’s at least a 50:50 possibility, if not higher.

If it doesn’t happen and the vaccines are perfect, covering any mutations, even I might celebrate by joining the family guys at a football match.