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Post by Newsboy on Jan 20, 2021 18:02:37 GMT
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Post by Newsboy on Jan 20, 2021 18:13:54 GMT
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Post by Newsboy on Jan 20, 2021 18:26:57 GMT
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Post by Newsboy on Jan 20, 2021 18:44:31 GMT
National League clubs have two funding options available to continue the current season or can indicate to suspend the campaign following meetings with the league today.
A letter circulated to the 66 member clubs in advance of the discussions explained the £11 million allocated to support Steps 1 and 2 playing behind closed doors for January to March, via the £300m Winter Survival Package and administered by Sport England, will be by loans, with grants available in exceptional circumstances.
This came as a shock as a number of clubs would not have started the season in October had they been offered loans and it was the National League’s firm understanding the funding would be in the form of grants, if there was no improvement in the country’s situation, but the DCMS say funding was never promised as grants.
The first three months of the season – October, November and December – were funded through the National Lottery’s promotional fund as grants after league chiefs and the FA struck a £10m rescue deal with the government.
The season is due to run until the end of May with play-offs to follow in June.
The National League’s interim general manager Mark Ives, who has taken over following the sudden resignation of chief executive Michael Tattersall last month, held six meetings with clubs today (January 20), which began at 10am and finished at 5.30pm, to update them on the funding situation.
Clubs have been given three options.
The first is for clubs to individually loan money via a central application which contains assessment criteria with preferential rates, and those rates could include holiday payments and be negotiated.
The second is for the National League to take on the loan and distribute money to its clubs as grants, with Sport England signing off the distribution model. This would impact the central funding clubs receive in future, but is initially looking like the preferred option.
The last is for the season to be suspended for an unspecified amount of time. All leagues could be suspended or just one Step, with the Winter Survival Package and furlough scheme able to be used.
Clubs have been asked to return their views via email by tomorrow morning on the club loans, whether the National League should take on the loan and convert it to grants or should a suspension happen.
A National League board meeting has been scheduled for Friday where the views of the clubs will be discussed. It is expected Saturday’s fixtures will go ahead as planned.
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Post by Newsboy on Jan 20, 2021 19:57:19 GMT
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 21, 2021 9:29:24 GMT
Good to see the Chester statement...I wonder what OCFC's position on the situation is?
It is, of course, a real 'Sod's Law' situation in that the team are going well in the League and the Trophy and I'm sure all the supporters would want to see where this side can get them. BUT..........
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Post by Newsboy on Jan 21, 2021 14:43:49 GMT
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 21, 2021 18:48:10 GMT
So maybe, with an empty Saturday this weekend, City will have already played their last match for a few weeks (or the season??)!
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Post by Newsboy on Jan 21, 2021 23:58:36 GMT
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 22, 2021 13:45:18 GMT
So, it's a two week suspension of matches at Step 2. National League statement HERE. Can't see personally how that is going to achieve much, apart from a bigger backlog of fixtures. Though, perhaps, if everything is still much as it is at the end of the fortnight they'll just draw a line under it all? |
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Post by OWHH on Jan 22, 2021 19:11:05 GMT
It's to put pressure on MPs: and with the greatest respect to the Dept of Culture and media, talk to the engine driver at pmqs, and get it referred to Sunak: the club are meeting his shadow Next week:
My opinion, for what it's worth,and certainly not the Clubs, is there should be a Grant as before, and funding for testing.
Failing that the loan option via the League should be interest free and over a substantially longer period, what's known as the never, never. Maybe the National lottery might step in again and part fund, anything is worth a try.
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 27, 2021 15:29:38 GMT
BBC website posted this item earlier this afternoon HERE about financial support for clubs. |
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Post by Newsboy on Jan 28, 2021 9:08:18 GMT
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 2, 2021 10:08:11 GMT
It's a very convoluted set of 'resolutions' to be voted upon that the NL published yesterday. CLICK HERE. Not entirely sure I follow the implications of all of it!! Clearly the continuation of this season is still very much hanging in the balance...we shall see! |
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Post by Newsboy on Feb 2, 2021 12:40:13 GMT
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Post by OWHH on Feb 2, 2021 12:57:26 GMT
Well according to that paper, all fixtures will start again until the end of the month, while teams decide..
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 2, 2021 14:14:32 GMT
Well according to that paper, all fixtures will start again until the end of the month, while teams decide.. Yes, well, I'm not sure that that makes it all that much simpler. Perhaps I'll just wait until the OM comes up with a really simplified version: but I'll not hold my breath in the meantime. Whatever clubs think, as they don't seem to have to make their submission for 28 days it's still going to be quite some time before anything is decided. I wonder what OCFC's feeling is about the various possible outcomes? |
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Post by OWHH on Feb 2, 2021 17:33:23 GMT
I think the club want to carry on, with four votes, i hope they put them in the right place: It will probably be 52-48%.😎
In the meantime it will be interesting to see if all clubs play their fixtures over these four weeks..
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Post by Newsboy on Feb 3, 2021 11:42:16 GMT
Latest view from Justin on Twitter:
@oxcityfc
we respect clubs individual positions but don’t agree with clubs not wanting to play lobbying others. We value our standing within
@thevanaramanl
and our community & wish to play on. Like others we will implement Covid testing protocol to continue.
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 3, 2021 12:25:23 GMT
Latest view from Justin on Twitter: @oxcityfc we respect clubs individual positions but don’t agree with clubs not wanting to play lobbying others. We value our standing within @thevanaramanl and our community & wish to play on. Like others we will implement Covid testing protocol to continue. It is clear that there is a lot going on behind the scenes at the clubs in the NL. Totally impossible to say at the moment just which way the voting will go. If it does all continue to a completion then there will need to be 2 or 3 games per week to get all matches played: City still have 25 matches to play. Welling, at the bottom of the division, still have 29 to play!! |
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Post by OWHH on Feb 3, 2021 12:32:31 GMT
Could there not be an exstention ?
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 3, 2021 14:23:19 GMT
Could there not be an exstention ? Yes, there already is an extension of the season to Sat., May 29th. Though City's last (at the moment anyway) is scheuled on the previous Saturday at home to Maidstone United. (I've not counted carefully, but I think that's 15 weeks from this weekend.) |
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Post by Newsboy on Feb 7, 2021 19:06:03 GMT
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Post by Newsboy on Feb 11, 2021 18:11:35 GMT
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 11, 2021 18:20:55 GMT
Is this Saturday's visit to Dulwich, therefore, unlikely to go ahead?? It does seem that a definitive decision on the continuation of the season needs to come fairly soon. Whilst understanding the rationale for the non-completion of fixtures, the uncertainty over whether or not any given match might or might not take place is clearly very unsatisfactory. |
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Post by OWHH on Feb 11, 2021 18:46:31 GMT
It's kicking off on Twitter Dulwich fc account, they are not the only clubs to be issued warnings and the rest including Concord are joining in, including conference North Alfreton fc .
Dulwich have told league they won't be fulfilling fixture: League have let City play Chelmsford, who both want to turn up 😀 So Chelmsford at the Velo-City this Saturday it is...
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 12, 2021 9:37:19 GMT
It's kicking off on Twitter Dulwich fc account, they are not the only clubs to be issued warnings and the rest including Concord are joining in, including conference North Alfreton fc . Dulwich have told league they won't be fulfilling fixture: League have let City play Chelmsford, who both want to turn up 😀 So Chelmsford at the Velo-City this Saturday it is... Ah, I see: I wrote the previous comment before I saw about the late-in-the-day change of plans. From an OCFC point of view it's obviously nice to play a match rather than having a blank Saturday, but if more clubs follow in DHFC's footsteps and decide they'd rather not play, then it surely can't be long before the League say enough is enough and pull the plug on the season?! |
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Post by OWHH on Feb 12, 2021 10:02:10 GMT
Dunno, they are asking that teams play on until the end of the month when the vote is in. Tonbridge have said they will be in dire straits no matter what happens, but that puts them in the emergency grant category qualification for Government grant (only in extreme circumstances).
Chester who despite their position in the table have now voted to null and void on all counts; but are still playing fixtures until the 28th..
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 12, 2021 11:20:44 GMT
Dunno, they are asking that teams play on until the end of the month when the vote is in. Tonbridge have said they will be in dire straits no matter what happens, but that puts them in the emergency grant category qualification for Government grant (only in extreme circumstances). Chester who despite their position in the table have now voted to null and void on all counts; but are still playing fixtures until the 28th.. No, I've no idea what might happen at the end of the month...but at the moment it's a shambles!! |
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Post by Newsboy on Feb 12, 2021 11:21:01 GMT
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