Barton: We must protect all levels
happen down here which is going to destabilise a lot of clubs,” said Barton.
“We have seen Macclesfield go, Bury go last year and we have seen Wigan in a tight spot.
“There are going to be a lot of clubs that, if we don’t have fans back in the stadium – which it doesn’t look like is going to happen – that are going to be severely hampered if not forced to the wall by some of these decisions. It really, really scares me.
“When you see some of the money that is about in the game – and there is plenty of money – but it is going further and further towards the top.
“Our club is at the centre of the community, it is a community- based club. Bury would be the same. People are getting discarded and made redundant and clubs are being closed and that is just wrong.
“We have to protect what we have because football has been around in this country for a long, long time. It wasn’t just invented in 1992 with the Premier League.”
National League clubs have been left furious by the Government’s U- turn on fans, and league bosses will hold an emergency board meeting tomorrow when they could postpone the start of the campaign.
Dover chairman Jim Parmenter said: “Unless funding is provided by the Government, football behind closed doors is not sustainable at our level. We’ll oppose any attempt to start the season behind closed doors.
“While the Government have communicated with the nation, there has been no direct engagement with football clubs by them, the FA or National League – we still do not know what the plans are.
“Supporters can be assured that we are doing everything we can to ensure the survival of the club.”