Fingers crossed for season to play on

REGRETTABLY, but perhaps inevitably bearing in mind the prevailing conditions nationally, the issue of whether the season is null and voided moved centre stage again, with all the clubs in the National League plus those in the North and South divisions engaged in the decision making.

The news that UK Government grants were to be repayable loans, albeit at reduced rates of interest, was the catalyst that set the current wheels in motion.

Provision exists for emergency support, for clubs in dire need, and the loan proposal comes with a 20 year repayment period and an initial four year ‘holiday,’ thus with the right support from National League and maybe Sport England, there is a possible way out.

The National League has chosen to pass the matter to the clubs to decide.

Normally, important decisions considered by clubs in the three National League divisions are taken on the basis of one vote each for National League Premier clubs, with four votes allocated to North and South Divisions as units.

Faced with the inevitability that using this formulae would mean North and South losing out again, on a vitally important issue threatening the very existence of a welter of hard-pressed community based clubs, the National League decided to allow each division to decide their season’s destiny separately.

We do not know which way County will have voted on the subject, but you would imagine that they, along with a majority of National League clubs in the Premier Division, would have supported the season continuing, and by the time this article is in print, we will know how it has all panned out.

For sure most County fans, despite the angst involved in not being able to support their Club inside Edgeley Park on match days, are desperate for the season to continue.