Johnson questions stance of the EFL
TORQUAY United manager Gary Johnson has questioned whether the Football League will want to leave its former teams adrift if the current National League campaign is ‘null and voided’ at the end of February.
There are fears that a vote could end the National League season and leave Torquay high and dry at the top of the table – but with nowhere to go.
That is one possible scenario after the teams in the National League’s Premier, North and South divisions were given four ‘Resolutions’ by the league on Monday – with the North and South divisions already suspended due to the loan-not-grants argument with the Government that is now threatening the fabric of the non-league game.
With Torquay playing Altrincham behind closed doors at Plainmoor last night, following their 2-0 win at Barnet on Saturday, club officials all over the country were mulling over the options given to them by the league.
It’s a bit complicated – the National League had to put out a revised and more understandable statement – but essentially, the first ‘Resolution’ is a vote on who makes the decisions on the individual divisions – does the Premier also have the power to decide what happens to the North and South, and vice-versa?
And Resolutions 2, 3 and 4 are about whether the season should end in the different divisions – and those divisions be ‘null and voided’.
Obviously, Torquay will vote to continue – and that is expected to be how most of the Premier clubs will vote, too. But the nightmare scenario for Premier clubs is enough North and South clubs voting to end all three divisions’ seasons.
Clubs have until February 28 to return voting submissions.
Johnson said: “There are a lot of
people who want to see our league continue, for sure.
“I don’t know about the North and South, I don’t know if that’s a different situation, but certainly, if we want to keep ourselves aligned with the EFL, then we are going to need to carry on while they are carrying on.
“That’s very important and it’s very important for us and for many teams in the National League – to get back in the Football League.
“There are a lot of teams that have been out of it for a long time – your Wrexhams and Notts Countys, big teams – and surely they are not going to leave those teams adrift, along with ourselves of course. So we will keep going. They have made the right decisions so far and we will see what comes next.”
The National League has asked for the minutes of a key meeting called by Government last November where it claims assurances were given that it would not have to pay back coronavirus crisis funding.
In correspondence seen by the Press Association, the National League claims it was told at a meeting called by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on November 17 that “the second tranche of monies for January/February/March 2021 would be on the same principles as the initial tranche ie grants”.
What comes immediately now for the Gulls, after last night’s game, is a trip to Southport on Saturday for their FA Trophy last-16 tie.
Southport are in the National League North and haven’t had a game for more than two weeks because of the suspension.
After Southport, the Gulls have a busy February with another five National League games before that February 28 deadline.
For a report from last night’s game go to www.devonlive.com/sport.