“The prospect of our season being cancelled is now a real threat” - Discussions continue over fate of the National League season

Teams in the National League - plus the South and North divisions - are classed as elite sport, and have therefore continued playing whilst steps three and below have seen action postponed during lockdown.
For the past three months clubs have been receiving support via £11m in grants from the National Lottery, which ended on December 31, and there are now question marks over how the rest of the season will be funded.

In a statement, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said: “It is incorrect to suggest funding was ever promised as grants. Clubs in scope will be assessed for support on the same criteria as other professional clubs.”
However, the chairmen of some National League teams say they agreed to begin the campaign after being led to believe the survival package would continue in the form of grants until supporters were allowed to return to stadiums.

National League clubs have been asked their views on the following options after it was made clear that additional funding would only be available as a loan:

- Clubs take on long term low-interest loans with initial payment holidays

- The League takes on the loan and gives clubs grants, with future League central payments to clubs then reduced

- Suspend the season

Clubs in the three National League divisions are now giving their views.

It has been reported that the League’s least favoured option is to suspend the season, and that the League expects all clubs to fulfil Saturday’s and the following midweek’s fixtures.

Eastbourne Borough, Chester and Hemel Hempstead have all backed the league taking on the loan, while Telford, Darlington, Concord Rangers, Tonbridge Angels and Slough Town have all said they would prefer the season to be suspended.

Dagenham and Redbridge say “the prospect of our season being cancelled is now a real threat”.

They also said they were “amazed that the resultant furlough claims on the treasury made as a result of such a cancellation is calculated to be in excess of the grant funding originally indicated and is urging the Rt, Hon. Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to reconsider this option”.

Boston United chairman David Newton says the Pilgrims would be open to each of the three options put forward by the National League as clubs look for a way to overcome losing out on further Government grants - although he believes any future monies handed to clubs must be distributed in a fair manner.

Mark Ives, the interim General Manager of the National League, will meet with clubs from each division today (Thursday) and gauge opinions on whether clubs are willing to take on loans in order to continue the season.

It has also been reported that a meeting has been arranged between the National League and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on January 25, and that there will be a National League board meeting tomorrow (Friday) following feedback from clubs.