Financial aid on offer for clubs
NATIONAL League clubs have received an offer of financial aid from the Government with the start of the season hanging in the balance days before the first kick-off.
Clubs from the three divisions, including North and South, feared they could go bust after the Government dropped plans to allow spectators into stadiums from this month.
The contracts for several Southport players will be triggered when the first match is played but with no income from match sales, the club’s future could be in jeopardy if it is left liable to pay them for the remainder of the season.
The situation is so perilous that club secretary James Tedford warned that Southport, and several other sides in the division, may be forced to drop out of this Saturday’s FA Cup qualifying round to prevent those contracts starting if there is no prospect of money coming in.
However, the Government has now written to all clubs in the three divisions to offer a bailout which would allow them to complete the season. The final amount of funding and how the clubs will be paid is still being finalised, but it is said to be enough money to see them through until their fans are allowed back into stadiums.
Some have questioned why the money to sustain lower and non-league football can’t come from higher up the divisions, but James argues that it is right that the Government takes responsibility.
He said: “Now people have been saying why is it up to the Government, why is it not up to the Premier League?
“Three months ago the Government told us via the FA that we could play here on the 1st of October with fans but eight or nine days before [the start of the season] they have reneged on that so for me it is up to them.
“We have got costs involved and we are now going to incur those costs if we play. It is up to them.
“Right now I don’t care where the money comes from. I would take it just so we could get football started here on Saturday.”
Southport take to the field for a first competitive match since March when they host Morpeth Town in an FA Cup qualifier on Saturday, but competition rules forbid any fans from attending.
That decision on spectators was only confirmed on Tuesday but had the match been away from home, Morpeth would have been allowed to admit home fans but not those of the Sandgrounders. In games involving two teams from below National League North level, both home and away fans can be admitted.
The club is now planning to broadcast its matches online and, in a particularly bizarre turn of events, will show those games live in the 1881 Lounge within the main stand, just yards away from where fans are forbidden from viewing pitchside.
James said: “That is what we are looking to do, starting this Saturday, and we will get the details out tomorrow.
“We want to have people in the football club watching and supporting the club basically.
“You can buy your beer here while watching the live stream.
“Now it is going to be painful for people knowing that 20 feet through a wall there is a football match going on that you cannot watch in probably a safer environment than sitting inside a bar. That is the rules.”
The club is also looking to live stream away matches where possible.
James said:
“If a team
is streaming the game, we will put it into the bar and ask fans to come and watch it. If not, we will ask if we can take our own camera and if we can stream and if we can just come to some sort of deal with them.”
After Saturday’s FA Cup clash, Southport are due to host Hereford at the Pure Stadium on Tuesday, October 6 in the first National League North fixture.