North and South divide on void call
THE National League North and South seasons have been declared null and void.
For a second consecutive season, the sixth tier of English football will finish its campaigns early – but while last season was decided on a points per game basis, the current campaign has been cancelled.
No relegation or promotion to and from the divisions will be allowed after the National League step 2 clubs voted 24-19 in favour of ending the season now.
This decision doesn’t mean the end of any arguments. National League North clubs voted 7-15 to end it, but clubs in the South voted 12-9 in favour of continuing – and the fallout has already started.
Alex Petheram, chairman of Gloucester City who led National League North, said: “I can confirm that we have now formally started legal action at Gloucester City against the ‘null and void’ outcome. This isn’t to make clubs play on, it’s to allow promotion and relegation.”
The lack of promotion and relegation also affects clubs in the leagues directly above and below by effectively rendering many remaining fixtures as friendlies, which clubs aren’t happy about having to potentially play due to health and financial issues.
Dover Athletic last week confirmed all players and staff have been furloughed as a result of the dire situation the club find themselves in. Their chairman, Jim Parmenter, who resigned from the National League board earlier this month, said: “All financial reserves have now been completely exhausted.”
Clubs in the National League North can now put their players on furlough. Ian Kyle, director and majority shareholder at Southport FC, told BBC Radio Merseyside: “We’ve had to pay January’s wages without any income whatsoever and we’re now very close to having to play February’s and for some clubs, that’s just a step too far.”
At the start of the season, all National League clubs were given grants to cover loss of revenue until Christmas. However, many clubs in the National League North believe they were promised further grants but are now being asked to apply for loans instead.
Pre-pandemic, only 16 of the 66 National League sides made a profit.
LANCASHIRE’S Liam Livingstone has been snapped up by the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL draft.
The big-hitting batsman, who secured a place in England’s T20 squad for next month’s tour of India after impressing in Australia’s Big Bash, makes a return to the Royals after being bought for £74,000.
England’s Moeen Ali was sold to Chennai Super Kings for £700,000 in the opening round of the auction, as South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris fetched a record £1.6m bid by Livingstone’s Royals.
Moeen, who departed the England squad in India following the second Test to take up a pre-determined period of rest, found himself at the centre of a battle between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai.
The 33-year-old, who had spent the past two years with Royal Challengers Bangalore, fills the Super Kings’ final overseas spot and will join England teammate Sam Curran at the IPL franchise when the competition takes place from April to June.
England batsman Dawid Malan, number one in the world Twenty20 rankings, is set to play for Punjab following a successful bid of almost £150,000.
England all-rounder Tom Curran was purchased by Delhi Capitals for a fee of almost £520,000. Sam Billings heads to Delhi Capitals for £197,000.
However, Alex Hales, Jason Roy, spinner Adil Rashid and 2019 World Cup winner Liam Plunkett all went unsold.
Australian Steve Smith, not retained by the Rajasthan Royals, was the first player sold in the auction, to Delhi Capitals for £220,000, while Lancashire batsman Glenn Maxwell will join Royal Challengers Bangalore for £1.4m.
Eight English players - including white-ball captain Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer and Lancashire’s Jos Buttler - were retained by their respective franchises.