‘WE DIDN’T TAKE THIS NEWS FOR GRANT-ED’
GOVERNMENT loans being turned into grants for clubs at Steps 3-6 are hugely welcome but not perfect.
That’s the view of Pitching In Northern Premier League chairman Mark Harris following the announcement that clubs below the National League will have access to a £10m pot to help cover losses incurred by the Covid-19 pandemic.
There had been fears the money in the Winter Sport Survival Package would only be on offer as loans but, after exhaustive lobbying from the Football Association, the DCMS this week confirmed they would be grants through application to the Football Foundation.
Clubs at Step 3 can apply for funds up to £27,000, Step 4 up to £15,000 while Step 5 and 6 is a maximum of £10,500 and £7,500 respectively.
While Harris says his league are grateful for the news, he fears the criteria is restrictive on clubs who have been run prudently with only National League System clubs holding less than six months of cash and unrestricted operating reserves eligible.
“We certainly welcome this and I’d like to thank those at the FA who have negotiated it on behalf of Steps 3-6,” Harris said.
“It’s not as if you ring up Government, say ‘we’d like some money’ and they send a cheque. There’s a great deal of work that went into this.
“It is not loans, and that’s really important. That’s one of the things that has taken an awful long period of time to get over the line and persuade DCMS and the Treasury.
“But, thereafter, I do have to admit to some frustration. We’re clearly left with a scheme that disadvantages those clubs who have been prudent and built some financial resources or have taken advantage of other funding that is out there. That’s not to say we shouldn’t be supporting clubs who do find themselves really, really up against it.
“This is not an unknown consequence, it was pointed out in discussions, but we are where we are.
“There is a reality that, while we all want football to be given what it wants, and no one can deny it’s a very strong case to support football clubs who are denied the opportunity for paying attendances, we’re only one voice out there.
“Every business sector – particularly in the leisure area – is mounting a case for why it should be financially supported and we in football can’t expect anything different.
“If you’ve been able to build up financial reserves over a period then you are going to get the minimum amount of money. A headline figure of £27,000 for a Step 3 club is lovely, but these are ‘up to’ figures.
“There’s going to be a great deal of frantic searching of records but, as I say, it is more than regrettable that well-run clubs are being penalised in this way – it’s unfair.”
Grants can be used for expenditure such as lease or mortgage payments, debt or loan repayments, utility costs, insurance, pitch and stadium maintenance, non-playing staff who haven’t been furloughed or Covid-19 compliant measures.
It can’t be used for player wages, purchasing land or building or non-essential operational costs among others.
The funding must be used by March 31 and evidence submitted of what it has been spent on by May 30.
Harris says that, despite some of the drawbacks, perspective is important.
“We’re having this discussion in a week where we passed the 100,000 death toll,” Harris said. “That is not to say this is not, for Non-League football, an important issue. But sometimes you can overstate the importance of something.”
With all ‘non-elite’ football currently suspended, clubs have been surveyed by the FA to gather their views on the conclusion to the current season. Harris emphasises the determination to get the right outcome.
“It’s massively important we demonstrate to clubs, fans and everybody that lessons have been learned and those lessons have been turned into constructive positive action.”