THERE’S A GUN TO OUR HEAD!
Reluctant Lynn will play on
KING’S Lynn Town chairman Stephen Cleeve says the Linnets feel like they are completing the National League season with a “gun against their head”. The Norfolk outfit have put six players – strikers Adam Marriott and Dayle Southwell, midfielder Sam Kelly and injured trio Rory McAuley, Aaron Jones and Alex Brown – on furlough as they attempt to navigate their way to the end of the season having previously expressed doubts over whether they could continue. Clubs are able to access loans through the government’s Winter Sport Survival Fund but some aren’t prepared to take that option. The National League, who expect clubs to fulfil fixtures, say they must use the framework to charge those in breach of the rules and will appoint independent panels to hear any cases, which will include Dover Athletic who haven’t played since the end of January over the funding issue. Cleeve says the whole affair puts Lynn in a no-win situation with potential fines or even expulsion if they refuse to play games.
No-win situation
On Tuesday night, 50-yearold goalie coach Paul Bastock – a Conference winner with Boston United – was an unused substitute as Ian Culverhouse’s King’s Lynn drew 2-2 with promotion chasers Notts County. Cleeve says the Linnets, who were promoted from the National League North last season, are having to make tough decisions just to get through the campaign. “We’re in a no-win situation,” Cleeve said. “We either have to borrow a huge amount of money, which puts the club in debt, or going in front of an independent panel and risk a points deduction or relegation. I just think it’s not fair for the club to be faced with such an awful choice in a no-win scenario. “Whilst I understand the charges and the punishments are an FA directive, as opposed to a league directive, the charge comes from the league. I think they could give a steer or make a statement it is their view there should be no relegation or points deductions for teams that don’t want to take part. “But the reality is they don’t seem to want to do that and we’re therefore faced with the unknown versus the known – therefore there is a cost to completing the known. So we are, at the moment, furloughing a few. Could there be a couple more? Possibly. “We’ve got to somehow get through it. When you’ve got a gun against your head you do things otherwise you would not normally want to do and we’ve made decisions which aren’t great.” With the Step 2 season null and void following majority support for a resolution, a group of clubs have been drawing up proposals to form a new competition that could allow promotion to Step 1 with no relegation. Cleeve believes clubs in the top-flight must be consulted on the plans as it could have an impact further down the line. “We should be consulted because it’s going to affect us next year,” Cleeve said. “If what they are saying goes through and there are five relegation spots, therefore it has an affect on us and therefore, legally surely, it has to go to a vote. “If that’s what the clubs want to do, then I’d be alright with it but it needs to go to a vote.”