National League North & South suspended for two weeks

[The Don]

What a fantastic statement from the board. We fans are lucky to have such a great management team and backroom team, also hats off to the players and management for giving us so much enjoyment during this tough time.

[Skip]

If the funding is received as a grant the season should continue to its natural conclusion. Perhaps those clubs that suddenly have a problem with playing out their remaining fixtures should apply for admission to their local Sunday morning clogger leagues, where their ilk will be readily accepted along with the Dog and Duck?

[BANANA BANANA]

If the funding is received as a grant the season should continue to its natural conclusion. Perhaps those clubs that suddenly have a problem with playing out their remaining fixtures should apply for admission to their local Sunday morning clogger leagues, where their ilk will be readily accepted along with the Dog and Duck?

They could play some double headers.

[Park Life]

Steve Irving live on Radio Kent at 2:30pm:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_kent

[Dave T]

Steve came across very well and put across the club's point of view very reasonably and clearly.

In a way, you can hardly blame the government for not making the next payment as a grant to the league. The way in which the league distributed the last £10million grant was shameful and unfair, protecting the interests of the clubs represented on the NL Board. The NL Board clearly cannot be trusted by their own member clubs now, so why should the government trust them with public money?

The doubly sad thing is now that it appears impossible for the NLS and NLN season to be completed; meaning that there cannot be promotion and relegation. Therefore the very clubs who looked after themselves with the funding allocation (like Dover for example) will now escape relegation too!

To cap it all Brian Barwick, the disgraced NL chairman who oversaw the allegedly fraudulent distribution of the grant, then jumped ship, picked up an OBE for his efforts!

The National League is a complete shambles and a total disgrace.

[Park Life]

Agree Dave.
The more information you hear the NL Board come across as muppets at best, or at worst............

[Llamaman]

Loans for those clubs in the top division so unfairly favoured by the first hand out, grants for the others. That should create a few more rows to give us more entertainment while there is no football to fill our time with.

[Skip]

Steve came across very well and put across the club's point of view very reasonably and clearly.

In a way, you can hardly blame the government for not making the next payment as a grant to the league. The way in which the league distributed the last £10million grant was shameful and unfair, protecting the interests of the clubs represented on the NL Board. The NL Board clearly cannot be trusted by their own member clubs now, so why should the government trust them with public money?

The doubly sad thing is now that it appears impossible for the NLS and NLN season to be completed; meaning that there cannot be promotion and relegation. Therefore the very clubs who looked after themselves with the funding allocation (like Dover for example) will now escape relegation too!

To cap it all Brian Barwick, the disgraced NL chairman who oversaw the allegedly fraudulent distribution of the grant, then jumped ship, picked up an OBE for his efforts!

The National League is a complete shambles and a total disgrace.

Well said, Dave.

[Reginald Horsfield]

Steve came across very well and put across the club's point of view very reasonably and clearly.

In a way, you can hardly blame the government for not making the next payment as a grant to the league. The way in which the league distributed the last £10million grant was shameful and unfair, protecting the interests of the clubs represented on the NL Board. The NL Board clearly cannot be trusted by their own member clubs now, so why should the government trust them with public money?

The doubly sad thing is now that it appears impossible for the NLS and NLN season to be completed; meaning that there cannot be promotion and relegation. Therefore the very clubs who looked after themselves with the funding allocation (like Dover for example) will now escape relegation too!

To cap it all Brian Barwick, the disgraced NL chairman who oversaw the allegedly fraudulent distribution of the grant, then jumped ship, picked up an OBE for his efforts!

The National League is a complete shambles and a total disgrace.

Dave To be fair to Brian Barwick I do believe he was given his OBE for his disservice to Rugby League.

[Kentc]

https://www.dartfordfc.com/club-statement-2/

The decision by the National League board to suspend the fixtures in the National League North and South (but not the top division) has come as a great shock and disappointment to all of us.

It seems that the ‘vast’ majority of clubs in the North and South called for suspension. We were not one of them.

Although not wanting to take on any type of loan as a club and most certainly not wanting to rely on a loan to the League to be distributed fairly and equitably, we did very much want the league season to continue.

We have been in contact with our Member of Parliament, Gareth Johnson, gaining his support in approaching the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The hope being that the second tranche of financial support can be in the form of grant aid (as with the first tranche) to avoid any clubs having to saddle themselves with debt to survive.

This suspension may give time for the League to negotiate a change to this funding channel and for this reason, we support a temporary suspension.

Our overriding desire is to ensure that we continue to keep everybody involved in putting matches on in these terrible times as safe as we possibly can. The stringent protocols we have put in place are managed and monitored with great care. With this in mind, we very much want to continue the season as soon as possible. Our undying thanks must go to our staff and supporters association for all their hard work in achieving this.

This great Club was founded by the great Community of Dartford in 1888 and rescued in 1992. Our supporters are the life blood of the Club and are missed terribly by everybody associated. I for one can’t wait for the day when we can open the gates again and be together supporting the team as one.

Thanks go to all of our supporters for their continued support in these strange and worrying times. We will do our very best to keep everyone engaged and informed as to what happens next.

Keep safe everyone

Steve Irving
Co-Chairman

Thanks to the club for this it’s good to hear thier perspective and makes me greatful to them for thier excellent attitude and Dartford community spirit.