Skipper Luke Chambers says he’s surprised that clubs haven't gone out of business before ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bolton Wanderers, along with Bury one of two League One clubs currently in administration.
While Bolton are hopeful that their takeover by Football Ventures will be concluded soon, they currently have only five senior players and Tuesday’s game at home to Doncaster was called off by joint-administrator Paul Appleton due to welfare concerns regarding the club’s young players.
Manager Phil Parkinson and his assistant Steve Parkin left the club earlier in the week having handed in their resignations and Jimmy Phillips, the Trotters’ academy manager, has been put in temporary charge.
Bury’s situation is even worse with the Shakers, who have had their first five League One games postponed and forfeited their Carabao Cup tie, facing expulsion from the EFL on Friday unless they can provide confirmation of the "source and sufficiency of funding” for paying debts of £2 million owed under a company voluntary arrangement and for the season ahead.
If Bury do exit the EFL after 125 years, League One will be reduced to 23 teams with only three teams relegated this season.
"It’s well documented about Bolton’s financial problems and then you see what’s happening at Bury as well. There has been talk of them going under,” Chambers told the club site.
"From what I have heard Bury spent a lot of money trying to get back in League One. They threw loads of money at it and that’s always dangerous.
"Look at the size of this club, with 24,000 coming through the gate and what [income] did the owner lose with relegation - £9 million?
"I’m surprised clubs haven’t gone out of business before. More money from the Premier League filtering down to the lower divisions would help.
"You’d like to think there should be help from the football family but if you start paying out well above what you are bringing in, any business is going to be in danger.”
Chambers was at Portman Road today to sign autographs and have selfies taken with youngsters at the Junior Blues Football Festival, along with Freddie Sears.
Meanwhile, returning striker Will Keane has opted for the number 48 shirt, his squad number when he was at Manchester United and on loan at Sheffield Wednesday earlier in his career, with 14, which he wore last season, now owned by Jack Lankester.