Frustration mounting in the sixth tier as National League clubs delay voting on whether to null and void 2020/21

The 66 member clubs were sent voting forms on February 1, asking them how they wanted to bring their campaigns to an end.

Under company law, they have 28 days in which to reply.

The majority of clubs in the South and North divisions have already publicly revealed how they planned to vote. And it appears most of them want to scrap a pandemic-scarred campaign.

But so far the vast majority of National League clubs have not done likewise, and it is the top flight clubs that hold the voting power.

Clubs are voting on four resolutions. The first one gives them the chance to decide the fate of their own step and needs 75 per cent of the votes to be passed.

If it is, the second and third resolutions will see clubs voting to end their own step. Those need a 50 per cent vote to be passed.

The fourth resolution, which only applies if the first one fails, is clubs voting to end all steps at the same time. That also needs a 50 per cent vote.

For the first resolution, each of the 23 National League clubs have one vote each. The South and North divisions only have eight between them, making 31 in all.

That means all 43 South and North clubs could vote one way, but if the 23 top flight clubs all voted the other way they’d win the vote.

Clubs in the sixth tier had expected the result of the vote to be known by now, but top flight clubs are taking their time.

Every extra day they take is adding to the expense of clubs in the South and North divisions who are being told to carry on playing.

Since the two-week suspension was lifted on February 5, most of the North clubs and a handful of South clubs have refused to fulfil fixtures.

One of them is Chippenham, who Hawks were supposed to be playing last night.

All 66 clubs had to pay last month’s wages without having received any cash, with National Lottery grants having ended in December.

One very real scenario now is they have to pay the February salaries as well - only for the South and North divisions to then be declared null and void when the result of the vote is finally known.

Some clubs - Maidstone, Tonbridge and Billericay - have furloughed their first team squads and have said they will fulfil fixtures using youngsters and loanees.

In the National League, most clubs are playing their cards firmly close to their chests.

Only three - Dover, Wealdstone and King’s Lynn - have stated they will vote to null and void 2020/21. Dover have furloughed their first team squad and have told the league they won’t be playing any more games.

Against that, only a few - Notts County, Hartlepool and Sutton United - have publicly declared they want to carry on. That leaves 16 clubs yet to make their feelings public, with Wrexham having said they will abstain from the vote due to not being eligible for the Sport England loan scheme.

Last night, eight of the nine scheduled National League fixtures took place - Dover’s game at Sutton the sole postponement. FC Halifax’s game at Chesterfield was off due to a Covid case at the Derbyshire club, but they rescheduled a trip to Barnet instead.

It is expected that the majority of top flight clubs will vote to continue and let each division decide its own fate, but that is not helping those clubs in the South and North tiers.

Hawks boss Paul Doswell has said he is ‘99.9 per cent certain’ the South will be declared null and void.

At present, though, that 0.1 per cent chance of carrying on is still possible.

It leaves Hawks having to plan for this weekend’s trip to Chelmsford.

Hawks are then due to welcome Welling United on February 27.

As unlikely as it appeared on February 1, they could play that game STILL not knowing the result of the vote.

And even when it is revealed, the National League board will have to decide whether to let clubs who want to play carry on. And there appears to be far more South clubs - including Hawks - who want to complete the season than North ones.

Since the two-week suspension was lifted, only four North games have taken place (including two last night at Hereford and York). In the same period, 17 matches have been played in the South division.

The composition of that board is heavily slanted towards the top flight, who have six positions compared to one each for the South and North.

Mike Coulson (Blyth Spartans) and Richard Parsons (Hampton & Richmond) are the North and South representatives on the board, and both their clubs have stated they want to null and void the season.