Non league clubs threaten to boycott or risk facing closure

Some of the non league clubs in the North West of England threaten to boycott matches and the season or risk facing potential closure.

The National League North and South is currently in a two-week suspension due to a row over receiving funding as well as Covid testing.

Clubs have spoke with reporter Chris Hall that if that’s not settled soon, they’ll call for this season to be declared null and void.

Chorley boss Jamie Vermiglio said to ITV News: “Really difficult for us, really difficult for the lads, because when you are on a bit of a winning streak and you’ve got that confidence growing in and around your football team, you want to play games.

“We just don’t know how to start when to start and we want to continue the season, we just don’t know whether that’s going to be viable for everyone.

“If funding doesn’t come, it’s very unlikely that the season will be completed.”

Southport have said that unless testing of the standard that we are seeing in professional football comes down to that level of non league, then they will boycott the season by refusing to play.

The club owner, Ian Kyle, reveals how there was two positive tests within the camp, with the National League telling them, “could you just not pick those players?”

“It’s not safe, they are part time players, they have got to go work and do their jobs with other people, they have done a seven hour round trip.”

Chester boss Anthony Johnson said: Two weeks suspension for what? We’re wasting time, we’re wasting money.

“We’re one of the clubs that had to go furlough, so by the time we play our next game, a game which we’ve been told is on the 6th of February, we won’t have trained for two weeks, we got half a dozen people at the club playing for free or staffing for free, that’s because there is no money left.

“They need to try and find a way to fund these clubs in the season, if we have to play, there will be no more Chester at the end of the season.”

The government have offered grants to save National League clubs from extinction, but only for those on the brink of going under.

All clubs were given grants to get them through the first part of the season, now they are being offered loans, which they say would be a struggle to pay.

There is still no funding for testing, and the ITV approached the National League for a comment, but they declined.

Curzon Ashton chairman Wayne Salkeld said when asked if they got no funding in the form of grants, where would it leave their football club: “We probably won’t fold but, we might have to move down some the leagues.”

16 clubs from accross the National League North and South have released a statement following the decision by the National League to confirm both divisions would resume on Saturday 6th February.

The statement reads:­ “Firstly, we wish to acknowledge the decisiveness in which the National League dealt with our concerns by supporting our request for the immediate suspension of our competitions on January 22. We have this evening (Thursday 28th January) received a letter from Nigel Huddleston MP (Parli­amen­tary Under Secretary of State Sport, Tourism and Heritage) inviting us to a webinar tomorrow, which will allow Sport England to set out the criteria for loans and grants (the latter of which is available only for those with no ability to repay loans).

“Loans are merely an extension to our life support and therefore foolhardy. We have yet to receive any assurances as to how we may mitigate against our inability to test our employees and volunteers for COVID, or against the government’s insistence that we trade whilst insolvent.

“With no apparent end in sight, this excruciating pandemic has us all facing financial imbalances of varying degrees.­ All of this is adding to additional stress and uncertainty that could and should have been avoidable.

“Having since been ordered to re-schedule our postponed games in accordance with the National League rules, we must now reiterate our stance. Without adequate and fair funding towards COVID testing and to offset against the loss of income, we are unable to uphold the integrity of the football pyramid, and insist that the season is curtailed no later than Friday, February 5, to allow all clubs to be assessed for grants.”

Signed by:

AFC Telford United – Andy Pryce
Alfreton Town – Wayne Bradley
Bradford (Park Avenue) – Martin Knight
Concord Rangers – Antony Smith
Curzon Ashton – Wayne Salkeld
Chippenham Town – Neil Blackmore
Darlington – David Johnston
Dulwich Hamlet – Ben Clasper
Farsley Celtic – Joshua Greaves
Gateshead – Neil Pinkerton
Guiseley – Gary Douglas
Hereford – Rob Crawford
Kettering Town – David Mahoney
Slough Town – Kay Lathey
Southport – Ian Kyle
Spennymoor Town – Tony Wilson

What do you think of non league clubs having to threaten a boycott? Let us know your thoughts on this.