National League clubs given three different options as season hangs in balance

Clubs were this week told that, from now on, funding to compensate for the loss of matchday revenue with no fans allowed in stadiums will come in the form of loans rather than grants.

This caused huge concern and many clubs have said they would not have agreed to start the season had they known this to be the case.

The National League held a meeting on Tuesday and then spoke to clubs on Wednesday.

The first option is for individual clubs to take out a loan.

The second is for the National League to take out a loan and distribute the money to clubs in grants, although this would reduce the funding they receive in the future.

The third is for the season to be suspended until an unspecified date.

National League Interim general manager, Mark Ives, has requested each club provide feedback on the different options.

The National League said in a statement: “The purpose of feedback is to assist the board in understanding views of all 66 clubs. The board will be meeting before the end of the week.”

The season got underway in October after the National League secured a £10m grant from the government, in partnership with the National Lottery, for the opening three months of the campaign, but funding has now ended.

Earlier this week, Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins, tweeted: “A loan will be bankruptcy delayed for many clubs.”