Calls for government to deliver a £20m rescue package to help Hawks at their National League rivals

The National League, National League North and National League South are due to begin their seasons on October 3, which was set to coincide with the planned return of spectators.

Hawks’ first home league game, on their new 3G surface at Westleigh Park, is scheduled to be against Maidstone on October 10. The club have already sold 500 season tickets.

However, the Government’s announcement today that it could be another six months before fans are allowed in stadiums due to a rise in coronavirus cases has now put that in doubt.

The National League board will meet on Thursday to discuss the implications of today’s bombshell, with Thompson fearing some clubs will become extinct.

‘I believe that a package of between £15-20million for the National League would enable those clubs to start behind closed doors,’ he said.

‘The clubs are going to need this assistance from the Government.

‘It is only the Government that can give us this money, there is no point going to the Premier League again, they have got their own problems with this.

‘We can’t always be expecting the Premier League to bail us out. This is a Government restriction on us being able to operate.

‘They now need to step up. They stepped up before with the furlough and it was fantastic.

‘We need this support to keep our clubs alive.

‘I would hope that this money would help replicate what we are losing on a matchday.

‘Whatever they are considering we need to be told very, very quickly. This is a plea to the Government to support the 67 clubs in the National League that are so important to their local communities.

‘I am fearful, I can’t say that for certain, but I am fearful of clubs going out of business.

‘There are livelihoods at stake, there are communities at stake.’

Thompson believes money from the Government would allow clubs to set up a streaming service, similar to the one used in the EFL, to allow fans to pay to watch games.

He added: ‘You can set up a streaming service reasonably quickly. I am doing it for Dagenham, but that was on the basis of having home support.

‘It was to give a service and raise some income from the away supporters who weren’t going to be allowed in to our ground because of the restrictions on numbers.

‘As soon as the restrictions on Saturday 3pm kick-offs was lifted about two weeks ago I immediately went into action and have got cameras being installed tomorrow.

‘It can be done but clubs are going to need this assistance from Government.’

Forest Green Rovers chairman Dale Vince believes the Government and the Premier League should work together to assist those lower down the pyramid.

“I think arguably the Government have a responsibility,’ he said. ‘They put £1.5billion into the arts sector to keep that afloat, they put £500m into the hospitality sector just in August with the ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ scheme, and sport is a big part of our society and our culture.

“The Premier League has the ability and does have some responsibility to the lower leagues of football, because they can help out. I would hope that between them – and I know they would each prefer the other to do something – it gets done.’