National League North & South suspended for two weeks

[Happy chappy]

I assume the two week break is set aside for the league representatives (Mark Ives) to work with the DCMS to sanction grants rather than loans.

If not it seems there are a small group of clubs in both NN and NS who have gone on record including DFC who are keen to continue.

Perhaps these clubs will be able to play a mini league or play off to decide promotion spots, (similarly to the current play off system) however this will only work if clubs in the National league are continuing and relegation is in place.

If there is no relegation from the National, I can see several clubs towards the bottom allowing their high earners to go elsewhere and playing a team of less well payed players safe in the knowledge they will not be relegated, and saving money for the following season.

With clubs playing less than half their fixtures i can't see how there can be any promotion or relegation within the National leagues this season. There is not a simple or fair way to do this

[Llamaman]

Looking back over the Kentish Football website to 19th November it says the £300m is £250 loans £50m grants, so if he knew everybody else should have as well. £11m was earmarked for the National League but it doesn't seem to have been established whether as a loan or grant or even a bit of both. Let's hope something is sorted out soon and the season continues early Feb. The original split between loans and grants would suggest the intention was £9m loans, £2m grants. approx. Of course if the whole £11m does finish as a grant I suspect all the other sports organisations will be demanding the same treatment. Ah well it will give us something to mull over whilst the action has stopped.

[Jonty]

I hope the club have a "no play, no pay" policy like Tonbridge and a few other teams in our league.

[Ajaxman DFC]

It appears the National League have mislead their member clubs through incomptence or even worse deliberately for fear of clubs not wanting to risk triggering season long player contracts without more clarification. The word "clarification" recently being a popular form of terminology used during the NL board's stalling tactics in their dealings with the independent inquiry team.
Did they not see beyond the original lump sum, or were they already distributing it to their mates in their heads, not bothering to read the small print.
Sounds like they were winging it by banking on fans being allowed back into stadiums by xmas.
When any government sets a date for a financial plan to be reviewed then that's exactly what is.
A REVIEW.
Not a bloody repeat prescription!

[the futures white]

Whenever I hear a mention of the National League board the following words spring to mind.........

Brewery and piss up!!

[Lincoln exile]

I don't see how the League could be said to have misled the clubs about the loans when they were public knowledge back in November.

[Ajaxman DFC]

I don't see how the League could be said to have misled the clubs about the loans when they were public knowledge back in November.

What loans? There has never been any loans. The league kicked of in October with the first 3 months funding secured through the National Lottery.
Clubs were led to believe funding would continue post December should fans still not be permitted into grounds. Their perception was that any funding required to continue the season would be in the form of grants.
The DCMS has denied this.
Despite being given assurances back in October that money would be made available all the while fans remained locked out, Hungerford said they would not have started the season in the first place if that wasn't the case.
Leamington chairman Jim Scott has publicly stated "it appears the National League have a different interpretation of the meeting that took place with DCMS regarding" further funding.
The NL also had a different interpretation to the government when they distributed the lottery money.
And as for trusting them with a similar scenario thank god they threw out option 2 on Friday.

[Lincoln exile]

See Llamamans recent post. The funding announced at the time of the Kentish Football article was mainly loans not grants

[Happy chappy]

Looking back over the Kentish Football website to 19th November it says the £300m is £250 loans £50m grants, so if he knew everybody else should have as well. £11m was earmarked for the National League but it doesn't seem to have been established whether as a loan or grant or even a bit of both. Let's hope something is sorted out soon and the season continues early Feb. The original split between loans and grants would suggest the intention was £9m loans, £2m grants. approx. Of course if the whole £11m does finish as a grant I suspect all the other sports organisations will be demanding the same treatment. Ah well it will give us something to mull over whilst the action has stopped.

If there was £9 million in loans the worrying bit would be that loans would have to be paid back with interest. A concern for all clubs i would have thought

[Ajaxman DFC]

The Kentish Football website doesn't really say anthying apart from providing a springboard for speculation.
Bearing in mind the huge potential loss of income in bar takings, food sales and other forms of income generated through fuctions, pitch hire etc. during the past year, I don't think any club in their right mind would be remotely interested in the prospect of being saddled with debt or in some cases more debt.
I give Marc White his due as in he does talk sense in certain situations. Post match interviews after a defeat just isn't one them though.
If the furlough option is financially better for clubs than taking on a loan yet more expensive for the government than handing out grants then maybe that's the best way forward to brokering some kind of deal if we want to see the season run it's course.