National League seeks FA help to end season immediately
WREXHAM’S National League campaign looks set to end immediately after news emerged that the league board has asked the Football Association for help to ‘close the season as soon as possible.’
All football has been indefinitely suspended as the country deals with the coronavirus outbreak, with the National League recently announcing all matches would be postponed until April 3. The Premier League and Football League have since extended their shutdown to April 30.
However, it now appears that the National League will officially finish the current campaign now “for the purposes of player contracts”.
A statement sent out to all members’ clubs from chief executive Michael Tattersall outlines the issues being faced and revealed that the FA had been “asked to assist us with making the decisions to officially postpone all remaining National League fixtures”.
The statement said: “As many of you will know, the National League held a Board discussion yesterday (Monday), the third such meeting in 11 days.
“The broad consensus was that our clubs wish for a decision to be made to close the season as soon as possible.
“The National League attended a further meeting last night (by video conference) with the Football Association, and the FA have been asked to assist us with making the decisions to officially postpone all remaining National League fixtures and end the season as soon as possible for the purposes of player contracts.
“The National League is also working with the FA to define all reasonable and practical options for the determination of the 2019/20 season, and to provide guidance to clubs on dealing with player contracts, player registrations and the application of the coronavirus Job
Retention Scheme.
“We will continue to press for updates and will ensure that any further information is relayed to clubs as soon as it is received.
It has been reported that the National League have submitted an appeal to the government for £17m in funding to see them through this uncertain time, the figure working out to exactly £250,000 per member club in the National League, as well as the North and South divisions.