Clubs will ‘probably’ bring an early end to Telford’s season
Clubs in National Leagues North and South are expected to vote to end their season next week.
AFC Telford United were one of 17 clubs in the two divisions to sign a letter asking the National League to curtail the campaign ‘no later than Friday, February 5’.
All were invited to join a call with representatives from Sport England and the Football Association yesterday morning setting out how to access Government funding via the Sports Winter Survival Package, which is designed to assist sports struggling financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
It is understood clubs were told at the meeting it could take four to six weeks for loans or grants to be paid from the point an application is made, the same time frame which applies to clubs and organisations across all sports which the package is designed to support. However, there were assurances that clubs in immediate danger of collapse could be prioritised and receive support sooner than that.
A resolution will be sent to the clubs on Monday and Dagenham & Redbridge managing director Steve Thompson, who is on the National League board, said: “Every club in all three divisions (could) vote to carry on, that is unlikely. They could all vote to say they want to cancel. Or, you can have a situation where tier two (leagues North and South) vote to cancel but tier one (the National League) want to carry on, which in my personal view is probably what might happen.
“It is a failure of Government that they have put us in this position.”
The Government said last week it was untrue that the National League had ever been promised all grant
