IT’S AN IDEAL5 OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE

BLYTH Spartans vice-chairman Kevin Scott has proposed a radical short-term restructure of the football pyramid to protect clubs through the aftermath of the coronavirus epidemic.

The Croft Park club are currently awaiting the outcome of the National League’s vote on how to bring their season to a close as the epidemic shows no sign of ending.

But no matter what is decided over the coming days, thoughts are already turning towards how clubs will cope with the financial fallout that will have an impact on the game and on businesses around the country.

A host of clubs have already taken steps towards protecting their short and long-term futures, but Scott believes that the answer to stabilising the game as a whole lies in football’s past when regionalisation of the Football League’s bottom tier was in place.

Scott told The NLP: “The current situation has laid bare the financial fragility of football clubs and the infrastructure and leagues that are meant to support them.

“This is a wake-up call, but also an opportunity to build a sustainable model for the future of all levels, and in particular for the non-league game, where the flow down of finances from selling the game is minimal or non-existent.

“We have to take the opportunity to fundamentally restructure football into a more self-sufficient and sustainable model for the future.

“The National League and League Two seem to have common interests.

“This has been made clear by the procrastination in making a decision on how the season will end.

“The National League’s North and South seem remote but are influenced by the superior voting capability of the National League.

“Going forward, a simple solution would be to amalgamate League Two and the National League into a League Two North and South with two feeder leagues below each of them.

“For survival, and for next season only, in the National League, National Leagues North and South and possibly Step 3, each division should be geographically split in two.

“That would mean playing each team twice at home and twice away, similar to what happens in Scotland.

This would reduce travel costs with little or no overnight stays and there would be more travelling support and derby games.”

Scott also hit out at the “lack of direction” offered to clubs by the authorities.

A number of important matters remain unresolved as planning for next season continues – albeit without the knowledge of when the fixtures will resume.

As the Premier League, EFL and National League continue to deliberate over how to bring an end to the 2019/20 season, clubs have been left seeking clarity over a number of key factors on and off the pitch.

Scott described the situation as “football’s darkest hour” and called for the FA and National League to learn the lessons from their actions over the last two months.

He added: “It’s disappointing to report the lack of direction from the organisations in providing any sort of guidance to clubs on players contracts, legal advice, furloughing, how the season ends, grant and financial support.

“This is football’s darkest hour, but by no means comparable in any way with the state of the nation. Lives and attitudes will be changed for a generation.

“Football will return, but lessons should be learnt and acted upon but will the powers that run the game and the leagues learn and act on the this? Just as much so, will some individual clubs currently focused on only their own interests look towards the greater picture to the future and survival of football?”

Spartans would be one of the key benefactors from any move to void the National League season.

After a difficult campaign, Spartans were battling to avoid what would be only the second relegation in their entire history as they sat nine points from safety in National North with nine games left to play.

However, they would maintain their place at Step 2 if a decision is made to void all results from the last eight months in a move that would replicate the actions taken by the FA for clubs in Steps 3 to 7 of the pyramid.

Scott insisted that the authorities had made the right call – but believes that there are many other decisions to be made over the coming months.

“In times of emergency or war, there are rules that can or need to be changed to address the overriding situation so that life can go on. Football is no different.

“The powers that be, to an extent, have implemented this with a decision on the season at Steps 3-7.

“I applaud this decision; however distasteful it may be to some clubs.

“But this is only one decision and as I have indicated, there are many other decisions that should and need to be made.”