SEE YOU IN COURT
• Legal threat as lower-league clubs have seasons scrapped • Southern table-toppers’ boss ‘numb and gutted’ over decision
THE FA face legal action after lower-league football clubs reacted furiously to having their seasons ruled null and void.
The FA’s decision yesterday to erase all campaigns for clubs under the National League North and South shattered promotion hopes for runaway leaders. South Shields, top of the BetVictor Northern Premier League by 12 points, warned the FA they could sue.
Paul Wotton, boss of BetVictor Southern Premier leaders Truro, said he was “gutted” and
suggested lower-league clubs were an easy target because they lack the funds to appeal. Worthing, top of the Isthmian Premier League by seven points, will now not go up, while Truro City, leading their division by a point with two games in hand, must also wait another year.
South Shields are clear favourites to reach the National League North and their chairman Geoff Thompson said: “We will be writing to the FA in the strongest possible terms and will seek an appeal or will take legal action.
“There is no denying this decision has a huge financial impact.We have invested heavily this year in a host of areas and the loss of promotion will also affect some of our revenue assumptions for next season.
“My message to all our fans and sponsors is: Sorry, it’s a huge disappointment and we’ve all been badly let down.”
Truro boss Wotton hit out at the FA, saying: “It is a feeling of numbness. I don’t agree with the decision. We have suffered a big blow by not getting promotion. It feels like the easy decision because we won’t have the money to appeal it.
“I don’t understand how they get to a cut-off point where other divisions have promotion and relegation and we don’t.
“I get it is a difficult decision for the FA but it doesn’t mean I have to agree with it. I am gutted for my players and our supporters who travel hours.”
Wotton hopes his players can use their anger to drive them to success next season.
“We are all fully aware of how serious the times we are living in are but it doesn’t mean we can’t feel hard done by,” he said.