NEW CHIEF MUST GIVE US A VOICE
STEP 2 ISSUE PLEA TO BARWICK SUCCESSOR
STEP 2 club chairmen have told The NLP they want outgoing National League chairman Brian Barwick’s successor to hear their voices.
Former Football Association chief Barwick will step down at the end of the season after six years at the helm.
Praised for landing the National League’s long-running broadcast deal with BT Sport, among other commercial deals, it has however been a challenging 12 months for the competition since the Coronavirus pandemic began.
Barwick insists he told the National League Board of his intentions in February and it is not related to the recent call from Maidstone United, seconded by Dorking Wanderers, for an EGM to be held to debate a vote of no confidence in him and the directors.
In total, 17 clubs across the three divisions have supported the call for an initial EGM, the majority from Step 2, and it would need significant support from Step 1 clubs to force through the no confidence vote.
However, many clubs hope it will ignite conversation on the governance of the competition more generally.
Eastbourne Borough chairman David Blackmore believes Step 2 clubs should be able to have more impact on decisions by changing the vote structure – a discussion he hopes can come out of the vote of no confidence EGM.
“While we didn’t agree with every point that was made, we do believe there has been a lack of leadership in some of the actions taken,” he told The NLP.
“What I’ve suggested is to use this as a vehicle to instigate some constructive dialogue about the future governance.
“Communication channels between the leadership and the clubs need to be looked at very, very seriously.
“The biggest thing I feel needs to change is to almost equalise the voice of Step 2 and Step 1. My suggestion is if every Step 2 club got half a vote each, you would then balance it out.”
As it stands, the National League North and South get four votes per division while National League sides get a vote each.
Leamington chairman Jim Scott agrees Step 2 clubs need a greater say.
“I know there’s a lot of people speaking now about the structure of the National League,” he told The NLP.
“The way the voting rights are, I can’t see any change in the structure. Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas. The voting powers are with the National League teams and the North and South have got a limited say.
“I spoke to (general manager) Mark Ives about this some time ago. The Step 2 clubs do need a greater influence than what they’ve got now.
“At the moment we can’t change anything and the votes feel virtually meaningless. The National North and South clubs should be given an increased amount.
Dedicated
“If both leagues had eight votes each, that takes the total voting to 40 with a 24-team National League and then if you get five clubs in the National League that agree with all of us, then you get change.”
Braintree Town chairman Lee Harding wants the new chairman to have a deep understanding of the different objectives and challenges clubs across the competition face.
“It needs to be a dedicated football person,” Harding said. “Not someone we fly in from media or rugby or wherever – we need to have someone who knows the game at our level.
“Ideally someone who has contacts with those we need to deal with on a daily, weekly and monthly basis – the Football Association, the Football League and the other leagues in the Non-League structure, the Isthmian, Southern and Northern Premier League. That is important for us.
“We also need to have someone who has hands-on experience of what it actually means to run a football club and how difficult it can be day-to-day, week-to-week, to survive and keep your head above water.
“Once we get that person involved at the league then I think we can close ranks, unite behind them and get on with repairing what I think is a slightly tarnished image.”
Vice-chairman Jack Pearce is a name on a number of lips, with his experience of the league, his own club Bognor Regis Town and his standing within The FA.
King’s Lynn Town chairman Stephen Cleeve, whose side were promoted from Step 2 last season, said: “Jack would be a good, sensible vote. He knows how the FA works and he knows how the league works and he runs a football club. So it wouldn’t be a bad shout for me.
Communication
“Also, he owns up to mistakes when he’s made them, he’s straightforward and he understands it. It’s very difficult because there are so many different demands and modus operandi.”
Cleeve also believes coming up with a plan for potential reduced capacities next season need to be addressed now in order to prevent the situations that have arisen this season, including the cessation of Step 2 and Dover Athletic’s refusal to play which has led to a £40,000 fine and a 12-point deduction for 2020-21.
“My major point is we need to ensure we don’t do this again,” Cleeve said. “We need to be debating now the ifs and the buts and the maybes of what we’re going to do. We can’t open with just 1,000 people in stadiums.
“It needs someone strong to say if we’re not allowed 2,500 people in the ground every game, it’s got to stop without consequences.”
Blackmore would like to see increased communication from the next chairman.
“Whoever it is has to fully understand there are 66 members, it’s not just the 23 at the top,” he added.
Communication is also high on Leamington chief Scott’s list of priorities.
“I think it’s very easy for people to be critical in what were unprecedented times,” he said. “One thing I would say is the communication from the National League was lacking at times. Since Mark Ives took over, there has been more communication. He listens, he asks your opinion, he seeks it. That’s certainly refreshing.
“The National League are obviously doing something right because Vanarama have extended their deal.
“There’s a lot of good people involved in driving the National League forward. It has moved on a fair bit over the years. I think commercially it went a step up when Michael Tattersall and Brian Barwick came in. Money is important.
“It’s still a very good league to be involved in and I think sometimes clubs need to remember that.”