A huge threat hangs over the current National League season today (19th January) as it emerges that the Government’s £300m Sports Winter Survival Package including  £11m allocated for our league will largely be in the form of loans rather than grants.  

The season commenced in October on the basis that further funding, all the time fixtures had to be played behind closed doors and club houses shut,  would be in the form of grants.  For the vast majority of clubs, loans are an unsustainable way of financing a business which is and should be largely dependent on Matchday revenue, sponsorship, and the hire out of its facilities to third parties.  The pandemic has rendered this virtually impossible and certainly so in the case of our own club.   

Both our turnstiles and club house have been shut since the sudden ending of the 2019/20 season in mid March.  Apart from the National Lottery grants which only covered the season up until December we have been dependent on the generosity of our sponsors and supporters for any additional income for which we are incredibly grateful.

Some clubs have already threatened to not play this coming Saturday and there is a meeting of all clubs with the National League tomorrow (20th January) to discuss the situation. 

Please click here for story running on the BBC sports website.