The Next 6 Months?

Manchester Romans wrote:

Midsomer-steve wrote:Rob,

Forgive me for being pedantic, but is there a Club that will be getting nothing from this share-out of money, because, looking at your figures, there are only 65 Clubs overall?  

The National Leagues have only 65 members this season because of Bury’s demise - only one team came down from League 2.

Thank you for your reply MR - but, as well as Beau Nash quoting a total NL figure of 66 (and then breaking that down to a total of 65), the NL website displays League Tables showing:- Premier - 23, North: 22, and South 21. I just wondered about Beau Nash's breakdown accuracy - no jokes please

Jason Turner Chief Executive Notts County:

"We had hoped that our share of the well-publicised £10million funding package kindly made available by the National Lottery would have gone a long way to making up the shortfall.

But, while we appreciate the Government, FA and National League’s efforts in securing this funding, the allocation of the monies does not accord with the criteria set out earlier this month, when Government made it clear it should be used to subsidise clubs for their lost gate revenue.

How can it be right, therefore, that we receive only £11,000 per month more than the likes of Boreham Wood, Wealdstone and Weymouth despite our average attendances being more than five times theirs? They and a host of other clubs are now actually in a stronger financial position than they would have been if crowds were permitted at matches and, as a result, have gained an unfair competitive advantage over clubs like ours who have been left significantly worse off. The allocation is profoundly flawed to the extent that it seriously and adversely impacts the very integrity of the competition.

All clubs were asked to provide the league with financial information at the end of September and to specifically detail their estimated lost gate revenue. While we understand these figures are merely indicative, alongside average attendances over say a two-year period they should have provided enough information to enable the league to work out a sensible banding of teams rather than adopting this purely arbitrary system.

If the funds were distributed in an optimal way, it is conceivable that all clubs could have received close to their lost gate receipts for the first three months of the season, with further potential to replace other lost revenue streams with live streaming and creative sponsorship and marketing initiatives.

In a letter to the league I have offered to provide a number of options for a more considered and structured distribution based on various scenarios using the above information. I am yet to receive a response!

On Monday I will be speaking with Lilian Greenwood MP to ask for her support, alongside other MPs, in demanding the National League revisit their decision and distribute these very welcome funds in a manner which meets their mandated use. While we are of course grateful to receive this help and accepting of the fact we may not recover all our losses, we cannot accept other clubs profiting from the grant while many others are left short. I would like to thank Lilian in advance for her support and assistance in this matter."

“Jason Turner Chief Executive Notts County”
Our former Club Secretary, no less!

In a letter to the league I have offered to provide a number of options for a more considered and structured distribution based on various scenarios using the above information. I am yet to receive a response!

And you really expected one? The only thing which surprises me about all this is that some are surprised by the way the NL have dealt with the task.

I think 'the likes of ' phrase speaks volumes of Notts County. You are non league cos you were relegated. When you come to terms with that you.might have a chance of promotion.

Well said. A little humility goes a long way.

What a surprise that clubs aren't happy with their allocation. Some people are never satisfied. The perennial argument - my club is bigger than yours - rages.
It seems the mistake the league made was to invite clubs to make a case for their losses which no doubt led them to believe it would be allocated solely on that criteria and not then arbitrarily banded.

tovid wrote:What a surprise that clubs aren't happy with their allocation. Some people are never satisfied. The perennial argument - my club is bigger than yours - rages.
It seems the mistake the league made was to invite clubs to make a case for their losses which no doubt led them to believe it would be allocated solely on that criteria and not then arbitrarily banded.

Agreed

I believe Notts County have a valid argument. Where they have made a mistake is in making reference to specific clubs with lower attendance levels as it does deflect from the thrust of their argument.

The funding was supposed to be made available to offset clubs' loss of gate income so why not allocate on the basis of individual clubs actual attendance levels rather than the arbitrary basis that has been used. I appreciate we have to be grateful for what we have been granted but it does seem as the allocation of funds has created winners and losers. I suppose Chippenham's recent signing of Adam Mann & Ryan Brunt is just a coincidence that it happened around the same time that funding arrangements were being mooted.

Sorry Peter, I don’t understand your reference to our two former players.

I think yet again this saga underlines the chasm which exists between the full time clubs in the NL and the rest of us.

Chippenham would seem to have received a larger cash allocation than an attendance based payout would have warranted. On this basis they may have been able to increase their player budget to a higher level.

All clubs are equal but some are more equal than others.     (with apologies to Orwell)

The 'Notts County' argument applies equally to our division, as it doesn't really seem right that Oxford, Concorde and Hungerford, whose average gates were in the 300s last season, should get the same amount as clubs like us and others who were averaging almost three times that.

The problem of course with anything like this though is that there is always somebody who is going to be unhappy with the outcome.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/havant-waterlooville-boss-doswell-dreaming-more-fa-cup-romance-and-ps150000-tv-payday-3014665

...Last week Hawks discovered they would receive £30,000 a month for three months from the National Lottery.

That is nowhere near the sort of money the club were receiving on a monthly basis prior to the pandemic.

National League clubs were initially told they would be financially rewarded based on last season’s average attendance figures.

That has patently not happened.

Hawks, who averaged 1,398 in 2019/20, will receive the same amount as South divisional rivals Oxford City (average 368) and Hungerford Town (average 334).

In the top flight of non-league, Boreham Wood will receive £84,000 a month despite averaging just 724 last season.

In one of a series of angry tweets, Doswell said the National League’s board ‘should hang their heads in shame.

‘They do not care about North and South clubs, we’re seen as an inconvenience!’

Speaking after the win at Bath, he added: ‘We don’t want to sound sour - we are grateful for the £30,000. That money is massive for us - we couldn’t have survived without it.

‘But at the same time we are disappointed.

‘When Boreham Wood get £84,000 and we get £30,000, that shows something has gone wrong somewhere.

‘It is farcical really.’

For most clubs the costs will be substantially higher in the conf prem. For Doswell and Havant that may not be true.
They are full time which you would have thought was unsustainable on 1300 gates especially with their squad.
Their losses are nothing to do with the size of their gates.
Similarly I presume Notts County have high expenditure which is not justified by their league position.

Doswell is a property developer. When at Sutton he lent the club £500k to put in their 3G, no interest, repayable over 10 years. Could be Havant are benefiting from his largesse in some way !

I wonder whether we still count as elite or how the gov will decide what level of football can continue?

tovid wrote:I wonder whether we still count as elite or how the gov will decide what level of football can continue?

According to Ollie Bayliss the Southern League has emailed clubs to tell them that they can cancel their midweek games if they want even though the lockdown doesn't start until Thursday and there doesn't appear to be a definitive ruling from the F A (well it is only Monday). Quite a few have done so apparently.

Chesterfield FC Chief executive John Croot:

National League Financial Support

"We are one of 11 clubs who have joined forces to ask the National League board to reconsider the way that compensation via National Lottery funding is distributed. The funding is for losses incurred as a direct result of the decision to prevent supporters attending matches due to the impact of Covid-19. In extreme cases this resulted in some clubs receiving around five times as much funding – per absent spectator – as other clubs, which is patently unfair. It is hoped that the distribution of funds will be revised to make it a more realistic allocation."

https://nonleaguedaily.com/nine-clubs-call-for-national-league-chairman-barwick-to-resign/


“Despite rumours of matters being discussed at sub-committee level of the National League, we have received no meaningful communication regarding our request for an independent panel review of the allocation.

Never!

Apparently a group of MPs have written to the National League in a similar vein, asking for a reply 'as soon as possible' - they clearly don't realise who they are dealing with!

Will probably be replaced by Greg Clarke if he stands down!

There are big questions to be asked about the continuation of ALL sports where there is personal contact. The virus continues to spread among the very best, eg Mo Salah...

https://www.greenun24.co.uk/non-league/non-league-football-views-on-the-return-after-covid-19-restrictions-are-lifted-1-6927569

Many players at "elite" level have lives outside of football and will contract the virus;  hopefully, being strong and fit they won't suffer too badly.

Beau Nash wrote:There are big questions to be asked about the continuation of ALL sports where there is personal contact. The virus continues to spread among the very best, eg Mo Salah...

https://www.greenun24.co.uk/non-league/non-league-football-views-on-the-return-after-covid-19-restrictions-are-lifted-1-6927569

Many players at "elite" level have lives outside of football and will contract the virus;  hopefully, being strong and fit they won't suffer too badly.

Elite or not, like it or not, everyone has a responsibility to follow the rules and limit social contact outside their bubbles.

Luton Roman wrote:

Beau Nash wrote:There are big questions to be asked about the continuation of ALL sports where there is personal contact. The virus continues to spread among the very best, eg Mo Salah...

https://www.greenun24.co.uk/non-league/non-league-football-views-on-the-return-after-covid-19-restrictions-are-lifted-1-6927569

Many players at "elite" level have lives outside of football and will contract the virus;  hopefully, being strong and fit they won't suffer too badly.

Elite or not, like it or not, everyone has a responsibility to follow the rules and limit social contact outside their bubbles.

Amen!!!