THE sooner that fans return to Rodney Parade the better according to Newport County boss Michael Flynn.

Teams at the bottom of the football pyramid have been hit hardest by the lack of fans coming through the turnstiles on matchday.

"The longer it drags on, the harder it’s going to be," he said.

"For us, we’ve put plans in to have fans before January.

"At one stage it was going to look positive for October.

"That’s not looking too great at the minute.

"It’s tough, we need these fans in."

Despite the stands at Rodney Parade remaining empty for the time being, fans have been tuning in through iFollow to ensure they keep up with the Exiles exploits on the pitch.

"It’s a great gesture from them with the iFollow, their hard-earned money coming in when they can’t really attend the games," said Flynn.

"We’ve hit the target the club set, hopefully we get a few more. It all helps top the coffers up.

"What they’ve done with the iFollow has been helpful, but we still need those walk-ups as well.

"It’s basically only half of what we can bring in.

"Fingers crossed we get through this."

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While he was eager for the fans to return to County's games, both home and away, Flynn was keen to stress that he recognised the gravity of the current situation on a wider scale.

"Obviously having everyone healthy is the main thing, but we want fans back," he said.

"Of course we do.

"It’s strange. It’s not strange, it’s annoying if I’m honest."

He said that the atmosphere was the thing he missed the most and admitted that he'd rather "have the fans moaning and on my back than nothing".

He also said that, even though they weren't in the stands, he was still continually running into fans at the supermarket and faced with questions about injuries, transfer policy and the like.

"It is something I’ve got to deal with knowing a lot of people around Newport," he said.

"I’ve always got time to stand and talk to the supporters.

"They’re a big part of the game, we know the importance of the hardcore fans."

The County boss was hopeful that other sides in the division could pull together and help each other through the tough times.

"We’re rivals for 90 minutes, but I like to think that clubs come together and work together for the good of the game," he said.

"We don’t want another Bury."

As far a the Exiles manager is concerned, his players have been excelling themselves in terms of making sure that all coronavirus guidelines were adhered to throughout the club.

"They’ve done everything right," he said.

"They’re a good group, none of them want to miss any time so they’re all being vigilant and careful.

"We can’t watch them 24/7, but we can advise them and lead them on the right path."