Non-league clubs to get their share of £10m emergency support funds
National League clubs will each receive a share of £10million funding to ease the financial impact of coronavirus restrictions.
The 66 clubs who play in the fifth and sixth tiers of English football will benefit as they continue to play behind closed doors after the return of fans was postponed due to rising infection rates.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced the emergency support as part of a partnership with the National Lottery.
“I know from a brilliant club in my area that National League football clubs are the beating heart of their communities and too precious to lose,” Dowden said in a statement. “This £10million fund will provide a bridge to help clubs survive this immediate crisis whilst we work together on the safe return of fans.”
Funds will be distributed to clubs in the National League, National League North, and National League South via the Football Association.
Leeds defender Gaetano Berardi has thanked the club for offering him a new one-year deal despite his long-term knee injury.
Berardi could be sidelined until next April after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament in Leeds’ win at Derby in last season’s penultimate game.
It was a cruel blow for the 32-year-old Swiss, whose previous contract expired in the summer after Leeds had sealed promotion to the Premier League.
“It’s a good feeling,” Berardi said after signing his new deal. “Of course it is not the best situation with me with and
the injury and also for the club to sign a player like me in this moment.
“So, it’s a good feeling for me and I’m happy about this and would like to say thank you to the club for this.
“I hope the club felt my contribution to do it and in my opinion this is the biggest motivation.”
Berardi, hugely popular among Leeds fans for his fully committed approach to the game, featured 22 times for the club during their Sky Bet Championship titlewinning campaign.
He is currently Leeds’ longest-serving first-team player having made 155 appearances in all competitions since arriving from Sampdoria in the summer of 2014.
“I’m here trying to recover and taking my time, but in my head I’m sure I will be fit in time to have a chance to train with the lads and do my best,” said the right-back, who can also operate in central defence.
“I want to have a big part in the team, playing or not playing, at the moment I’m going my job in a different way and I think the team know this.”
Berardi’s new deal, which keeps him at Elland Road until at least next summer, was announced on the same day leftback Barry Douglas headed out on loan to Blackburn.
Director of football Victor Orta wrote an open letter paying tribute to Douglas, who has struggled to make the left-back position his own since joining from Wolves in 2018 for an undisclosed fee.
Boss Marcelo Bielsa said he had opted to play Stuart Dallas, Ezgjan Alioski and Leif Davis ahead of the Scotland international.
“They’re decisions I have to make,” Bielsa said. “For me they have been very difficult. Douglas deserved to play for Leeds and he gave his all to achieve this.
“I wasn’t able to help him enough for him to consolidate himself in our team. He’s a player who has given huge effort and I regret a little bit that he wasn’t able to triumph with us.”
Former Wales defender James Collins has announced his retirement from playing.
Collins, who played for Cardiff, Aston Villa, West Ham and Ipswich, won 51 caps for Wales and helped them to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.
“This will not come as a surprise to most people as I haven’t played for a season now,” Collins posted on Instagram.
“But with a heavy heart I’ve decided to officially retire. I believe this is the best thing to do so I can move on to my next chapter in life.”