OUR CLUBS NEED HELP FROM ELITE SAYS POND
SO, the English Football League (EFL) has promised the release of a £50m short-term relief package to help smaller clubs tackle cash-flow issues, while the Premier League last week voted to advance funds of £125m to the lower leagues, including clubs from the National League.
Undoubtedly, this has helped soften the blow during this coronavirus crisis but, beneath the surface, lower league clubs are being hung out to dry.
While it has been estimated that the 47 League One and League Two clubs would suffer a combined loss of over £50m if the 2019-20 season hadn’t resumed by the summer, the National League as a whole would be £20m out of pocket.
The indefinite suspension of football at Steps 1 and 2 and the announcement of a null-and-void campaign for those below, proved a real head-in-hands moment for all.
The enormous financial strain of keeping the Non-League Pyramid base stable seems unattainable right now. Our clubs are often a community asset that provide opportunity, safety and a sense of unity to its surrounding neighbourhood.
One man who can feel their pain is Salford City defender Nathan Pond, below.
The 35-year-old has plied his trade in the depths of the English system for over 17 years, rising from the depths of the NorthWest Counties Premier Division to League
One with Fleetwood Town. His appreciation for Non-League football remains deep-rooted.
“Our NonLeague clubs are definitely going to need help,” said Pond, who helped Salford fulfil their Football League dream via the National League playoffs last May.
“Whether it’s through the FA, PFA or bigger clubs within their area, they are going to need someone to step in and offer help financially.
“I would like to see a percentage of all future match-day revenue from Premier League or Championship games pumped into Non-League to help it get back onto its feet.”
Life without a strong Non-League Pyramid is simply not an option for Pond, who knows from personal experience the huge benefit it has to the higher reaches of the game.
“I am hugely thankful for it,” added Pond, who started his career at Lancaster City before embarking on a 15year spell at Fleetwood. “I have come from almost the very bottom tier of English football, and for me personally it’s given me the opportunity to progress.
“Look at the players it has produced. Jamie Vardy is probably the most high-profile, along with players like Andre Gray and Nick Pope. Vardy and Pope are England internationals, and that’s just to name a couple. There are many hidden gems in our NonLeague game.
“The system is also important for the development of academy players that go out on loan to gain experience.
“Without it, the game just wouldn’t be the same.”
● Joe Davis, son of former Crewe Alexandra, Northwich Victoria and Nantwich Town manager Steve Davis, is a former Port Vale and Nantwich defender who played alongside Nathan Pond at Fleetwood Town. He has given up the professional game at the age of 26 to start a new chapter in sports journalism and is currently studying Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting at Staffordshire University.