Hawks boss Doswell: Other National League clubs should be thanking us – all we’ve had is heavy criticism

Yet instead of being appreciated by their counterparts, he revealed they have come in for heavy criticism since the summer.

The Hawks led the way in ensuring that play-off matches across all three National League divisions took place following football's shutdown in March amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Lobbying from the club, plus Parliamentary support from Havant MP Alan Mak, eventually paid off as the end-of-season fixtures took place in the North/South and National League divisions.

In order for those to take place, the fifth and sixth tiers were required to be recognised as 'elite' level, something which was passed by the Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.

Doswell believes the club's efforts in pushing that through is now helping National League clubs in many ways.

They can continue playing during lockdown behind closed doors while all football below the National Leagues is suspended in England.

Added to that, with the gates remaining closed to spectators, the Government stepped to provide a crucial grant.

That means all 68 National League clubs are three receiving three monthly payments from a £10m National Lottery Fund.

Seven National League clubs - Notts County, Stockport, Wrexham, Chesterfield, Yeovil Town, Hartlepool and Torquay - will receive the maximum funding allocation of £95,000 per month over the three month period.

The remaining 16 fifth tier clubs will be granted £84,000, while York City, Hereford, Chester, Dulwich Hamlet and Maidstone will receive £36,000 per month as the five sixth tier with the highest average attendances during 2019-20.

The remaining sixth tier clubs, including Hawks, will receive £30,000 per month.

Doswell believes it's now time Hawks started getting some recognition for the work they did in the summer.

'We’ve kept very quiet after we were heavily criticised in the summer for wanting the play-offs to go ahead,' he remarked.

‘All those clubs in the North/South divisions and the National League that were criticising us because they couldn’t have crowds ...

'Well, without Havant they wouldn’t be playing football and they wouldn’t be getting massive grants.

‘For me, what we did in the summer, what MP Alan Mak did and what I did and the club did means that we’re still playing football.

‘We haven’t had one thank you yet from one National League or National South club and without us they’d all be finished.'

Doswell is adamant football below EFL level would have been halted in the second lockdown had it not been for their part in getting all three National League divisions recognised as elite by the DCMS.

However, the Hawks boss pinpointed the fact all opposition supporters seem to be focusing on is blaming the club for not being allowed to attend matches.

'All we’ve had as a club is heavy criticism,' revealed Doswell.

‘That’s mainly from other clubs’ supporters who’ve not been able to attend games.

‘In my opinion, that was going to be the case.

Now, as I’ve said, their football clubs are being funded for at least three months - probably six months - by a grant and these football clubs, all of us, would have been on the brink of going under had we not had the grants.

‘Certainly, as I’ve said, if you’re not able to carry on playing at the moment then I don’t really see how the season can keep going in a true context.'