Hawks and their National League rivals given three options to help them cope with funding crisis

Suspending the 2020/21 season - for an unspecified period of time - is just one of them.

After the clubs received grants for the three months leading up to Christmas via the National Lottery Fund, they have now been told they will only be offered loans as part of the Government’s £300m Sport Winter Survival Package.

That money has been signed off by the Treasury with responsibility now entrusted in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to distribute it via the Sport England umbrella.

Of that £300m package - designed to provide support for 11 sports, not just football - only £50m is in grants. The rest is in loans - a decision made public by the Government when they announced the Survival Package on November 19.

The moving of the financial help goalposts has caused anger throughout the three divisions, with clubs going public to voice their concerns that the season cannot now carry on - especially as there is no sign of spectators returning to grounds any time soon.

Hawks CEO Stuart Munro said earlier this week: ‘As a football club, we aren't in a position to take loans as I think many of our fellow clubs, particularly in the National South, won't be either.

‘If they continue with it being a loan we won't finish the season … there's a real doubt whether the National League will continue to its completion.’

Elsewhere, Eastbourne Borough chairman David Blackmore said taking loans would put his club’s future ‘in jeopardy’ and Hemel Hempstead vice chairman Kerry Underwood said the National League season should be cancelled now.

In a series of zoom meetings today, National League clubs were given three options.

to take on long-term low-interest loans; the National League to take on the loan and give grants to the clubs with future league central payments to clubs then being reduced;

3. suspend the current season.

With regards the last option, there is no suggestion as to how long the season would be suspended for. But anything longer than a month would raise grave concerns the league could be finished by its current May 29 deadline.

Due to the pandemic, Hawks still have 28 of their 40 National League South fixtures to play in a little over four months.

Judging from the comments made so far by club officials, there doesn’t seem a huge appetite for either of the first two options as they both mention loans.

While the next couple of rounds of National League fixtures appear likely to go ahead, Hawks and other clubs must find a way to pay January’s salaries with no money having been received this month at all.

Clubs have been urged to contact their local MPs in a bid to lobby Government to get them to change their mind.

Eastbourne have written to their MP Caroline Ansell asking for her help, while Havant MP Alan Mak’s office told The News that Hawks have approached him for help.

Mak, the vice chairman of the Conservative party, used his influence last summer to get Hawks’ league recognised as ‘elite’ sport. As a result, the play-offs at the sixth tier of English football were able to go ahead.

That was a decision, however, that didn’t cost the Government any money. Here, if they decide to hand out grants again it will cost them £11m.

But that will still be less than the cost to the taxpayer if all National League clubs place their squads on furlough until the end of April - the cost there is believed to be around £14m.

In his letter to Mrs Ansell, Blackmore said: ‘All the clubs are greatly appreciative of the support they have received over the past three months, but I really fear that the league, and its clubs, are now in a much more perilous position than they were back in September.

‘Because of the pandemic many clubs recruited players before September with contracts that only became effective once the season kicked-off and are therefore now liable for these costs for the remainder of this season.

‘These contracts were only triggered because of decisions made with the commitment of grant funding for as long as supporters were not able to attend matches.

‘The desire of the DCMS to assist is admirable, and I do appreciate that the calls on Government assistance are eye-watering, however, the goal posts are being moved mid-season.

‘The reality is that only grants, not loans, provide any real compensation for the actual losses incurred due to the significant impact of playing behind closed doors.

‘These losses can never be recovered, and as such it would be irresponsible and negligent to take out loans that could not be repaid.’

MP Christian Matheson - whose constituency covers National League North club Chester - has already written to Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston on behalf of the club.

In his letter, he said: ‘It seems that information presented to clubs has been misleading and has resulted in many clubs making decisions that have now left them facing serious financial difficulties.’

Maidstone United co-owner Terry Casey told Kent media that he blames the National League board for the mess, saying their distribution of the £10m National Lottery bail-out money ‘embarrassed’ the DCMS.

Back in late October, a handful of clubs went public with their complaints following the league’s decision to give some clubs more money than others.

Some National League clubs with low attendances - such as Boreham Wood - received far bigger grants than clubs in the South and North divisions who attracted far bigger crowds last season, Hawks among them.

However, unlike some, Casey is not ready to write off the season just yet.

‘We want to carry on, we want to see it out,’ he said.

‘I know what football does for people’s morale, generally speaking.

‘People still want to follow their team, they want to keep an eye on what’s going on and to call a halt now seems quite cruel and unfair really.’

National League North club York City are also keen to continue playing.

Chairman Jason McGill said: ‘I don’t want the season to be curtailed, I want the season to be played. We have started the season, we have signed players and that budget didn’t account for any supporters through the gate.

‘I think there will be some football clubs struggling.

‘Every club has to vote for themselves. Primarily clubs have got to keep going - they can’t go into administration or liquidation which could be the outcome on the continuation of football without crowds.

‘York City are not in that position but other clubs are and they have got to protect their own interests.’

The National League have asked their clubs to report back on the three options by Thursday, and the league’s board will then meet on Friday to discuss the responses.