Non-League clubs angry at being told to play
THE National League have angered clubs by telling them to play their fixtures as usual, with players and managers feeling they are not being treated the same as ‘elite’ teams. As the Premier League and EFL suspended their competitions because of coronavirus, non-League football was told to keep calm and carry on. Ebbsfleet United manager Kevin Watson accused those in charge of jeopardising the safety of his squad and their families. ‘The welfare of lower-league players, staff and their families is just as important as the “elite”,’ Watson tweeted. And many others involved with non-League clubs shared his sentiment. Jeff Stelling, the Hartlepool United president and Sky Sports presenter, added he would not be attending his club’s game in Sutton. He told Sportsmail: ‘I was staggered. I thought the sensible thing to do was suspend for two or three weeks and review the situation. It was a difficult call though, as clubs at our level depend on gate money to keep going unlike the big clubs — and some fear going to the wall. ‘They know they can’t rely on the multi-millionaire big clubs to bail them out. So my heart is with Pools at Sutton tomorrow but I won’t be there — too old and vulnerable to take a risk.’ Hartlepool midfielder Gavan Holohan tweeted: ‘So can we turn our bus around now or are
National League players going to be used as guinea pigs until end of season to see how bad we deteriorate?’ The National League decided against cancelling this weekend’s fixtures at a board meeting yesterday, despite last night’s game between Solihull Moors and Harrogate Town being forced off. Harrogate revealed four of their employees were under self-isolation and they applied for postponement, which was granted.