National League chief executive to step down from role at end of December

The 45-year-old was appointed in November 2015.

In a statement the National League said he has ‘overseen a period of sustained growth of the competition, increasing it’s profile and commercial value’ and that he has been ‘influential in the integration of an innovative six-team play-off structure and the formation of the National League Football Academy.’

In recent months a number of National League clubs, including Chesterfield, have rasied concerns about how the National League chose to allocate £10m of emergency funding to help compensate for the loss of matchday income with no fans allowed inside stadiums. Instead of distributing the funds based on average attendances, four different sized payments were made ranging from £30,000 to £95,000 per month and this has left some of the better supported clubs out of pocket.

Tattersall said: “It has been a privilege to serve as the CEO of the National League.“I would like to thank my colleagues, our clubs, our commercial partners and the wider football family for their support and fellowship over the last five years.”Chairman of the National League, Brian Barwick, added: “Michael has served the National League and its member clubs with great distinction since joining the organisation in 2015.“He has shown outstanding professionalism, a comprehensive understanding of the sport - its competitive framework and associated business, all building on his life-long affection for the game.“I have enjoyed a tremendous working relationship with him and, along with my fellow National League board members, wish him well for the future.”