Competition stopped amid financial crisis

MATCHES in the National League North and South divisions have been suspended for two weeks with immediate effect.

The decision came following a league board meeting yesterday, and after 12 North division clubs had called for the season to halt.

A National League statement read: “Following the review of the feedback from clubs, a board meeting decided to halt the North and South divisions for a two-week period, effective immediately. As a result, (today’s) matches are formally postponed.”

The future of the three divisions of the National League were put in serious doubt when the UK Government, who had provided a £10 million rescue package in October, said any future funding would have to be in the form of loans rather than grants.

Faced with the realistic choices of taking individual loans, one big centralised loan via the National League, or cancelling the season, a large number of clubs, many in the National League North, took the third option and called for the league to be scrapped before this weekend, where they would have incurred more costs and – with no coronavirus testing – put themselves at risk.

A joint statement read: “Whilst the integrity of the National League is important, we do not value this above the safety and wellbeing of our families, staff, volunteers or that of our heroic workers who are tackling this pandemic on the frontline.

“Furthermore, we have now been asked to consider loans against our clubs and we are quite simply not prepared to trade while insolvent.

“This suspension will allow us the time to lobby our respective MPs and carry out our financial risk assessments against avoiding a null and void scenario.”

Of the four West sides in the National Leagues North and South, Gloucester City have most to lose from a failure to conclude the current campaign.

Bath City and Chippenham are in the lower half of the National League South, but would probably not be relegated even if they were bottom as the Southern League is very unlikely to be finished.

Likewise, Hereford are 15th in the North division, but Gloucester are currently top of the standings, six points clear, albeit with some of their rivals capable of catching them with games in hand.

The Tigers’ co-chairman Alex Petheram, pictured, tweeted: “The season must conclude. Grants not loans. Let us play.”