Doswell hits out at ‘laughable’ National League decision, while one chairman of a club in the play-off zone wants season declared null and void

The Hawks boss was speaking after the board met earlier this week to discuss the possibility of play-offs still taking place across their three divisions.

Hawks and the other 67 NL clubs had previously been asked for their thoughts as to whether play-offs should be held if it was safe to do so.

Hawks, lying second in the NL South table, were obviously keen to take part - as were divisional rivals Weymouth.

In the NL top flight, Yeovil and Notts County had publicly said they would take part.

But the majority of clubs are believed to be against the proposal - unsurprisingly, given that only a handful stand to be benefit from the play-offs taking place - and the NL have said no decision will be made until the EFL reveal their plans.

‘It’s almost laughable to be honest,’ Doswell told Hawks’ official website. ‘To have a meeting to decide you can’t make a decision just showed us really where all this is at.

‘To ask us to make a decision on the play offs .. we all knew when we answered the question it wouldn’t be answered.

‘Ultimately, everyone knew the National League North and South is dependent on the National League, and the National League can only promote teams if the EFL finish their season.

‘What was the point of us doing play-offs if the EFL don’t finish their season, don’t relegate Stevenage or anyone, and therefore there’s no promotion (from the NL) anyway.’

Doswell added: ‘The whole thing has been a farce.

‘We know we will be dedicated to by the EFL, and similarly that they are holding onto the coat tails of the Premier League.

‘It doesn’t surprise me. I don’t think it has shown the National League in a very good light again.

‘Representation across the board has not been great - I mean, why every league did not come out and say they will wait.

‘Why were steps three-five and five-to-seven cancelled when they were? Absolutely no need for it. Just wait until the EFL and PL make their minds up - we all appreciate we are stuck to them. ‘That could have gone right down the pyramid - why reward failure this season for the teams that weren’t doing well and why deny teams like South Shields and Jersey Bulls a well deserved promotion?

‘It just does not seem right to me.’

Jersey Bulls had already won promotion from Division 1 of the Combined Counties League. Remarkably, they had won all 27 league games - the only club in the top 10 tiers of English football still protecting a 100 per cent record when football was halted in mid-March.

Shields had yet to win promotion, but were the runaway leaders in the Northern Premier League - the same level of the pyramid as Gosport Borough (step 3).

Doswell was a firm believer in the 2019/20 season being played to a conclusion - even if it meant waiting months for his club to play their final eight league games.

But his is not a popular view in non-league circles, with most clubs keen to write the campaign off and start again - whenever that might be.

In the NL North, the chairman of Brackley Town believes their season should be declared null and void.

And that’s despite his club sitting in the play-off places when matches were halted due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Brackley chairman Francis Oliver believes any idea of staging play-off matches now is ‘ridiculous’, especially with players’ contracts having expired last weekend.

He said: ‘From our point of view, if they decide there are going to be play-offs behind-closed-doors with no spectators, then who is going to pay for it all?

‘People have to be sensible, there are bigger things than football at the moment.

‘If you are going to have the play-offs, how are you going to pay for them?

‘If they decided it on points per game then we would be at home to Gateshead and that’s not just up the road from us. When we go there, the coach alone costs £1,500. It’s all a bit ridiculous.

‘In our division, you have York who are top but King’s Lynn could overtake them on points per game. We are currently third but Boston could overtake us in the same circumstances.

‘But there was all to play for in those last eight or nine games so who are you going to say are the champions and who goes into the play-offs?

‘The whole scenario probably should have been null and voided like the levels below us.

‘If two go up, does that mean two will come down from the National League into our division?

‘It’s just a farce, and I don’t know what’s taking so long.

‘To be honest, for the North and South I think they could say ‘look, your’re more aligned to Step 3 and below, we’re going to null and void the season’.

‘The National League are probably more aligned to League Two so that could be sorted out with the EFL without dragging us into it.’