Hawks call on MP Alan Mak in a bid to keep their National League South promotion dream alive

Club officials held a two-hour meeting with Havant MP Alan Mak at Westleigh Park yesterday to explain their situation.

By mid-afternoon, Mak had personally written to both Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston and National League chairman Brian Barwick.

He asked Huddleston to find out exactly why the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) had ruled step of non-league football - the National League South and North - as non-elite.

In his letter to Huddleston, Mak wrote: In recent days the FA and National League have communicated to HWFC that the National League South play-offs cannot go ahead due to, in the opinion of the FA and National League, the DCMS’ definition of ‘elite athletes.

‘From the government guidelines issued to DCMS it makes clear that one of the criteria for ‘elite athlete’ status is an individual ‘who derives a living from competing in a sport.’

‘HWFC assure me their entire squad meets this definition, as would the other teams competing in the play-offs. Currently the entire HWFC squad is furloughed and benefiting from the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and several would normally earn above the monthly maximum cap of the scheme.

‘Therefore, I hope the DCMS would be able to confirm that:

1 Players playing for HWFC who derive a living from football would qualify as an ‘elite athlete’ under the Government guidelines.

2 The playoffs for the National League South, if they went ahead, would fall under the government’s stage 3 framework, Return to Domestic Competition - No Spectors, and

3 DCMS have no objection to the National League holding play-offs for the National League South if they can be played safely.

‘I’d be grateful if you could clarify the government’s position as soon as possible so the club can make final representations to the National League ahead of any final decisions on the future of the season being made by the league over this coming weekend.’

Mak told Barwick: ‘If the usual play-offs do not take place, I believe it is only fair the National League maintains two promotion spaces from the National League South into the National League. As the team that finished second in the table, HWFC should be promoted behind Wealdstone.’

Mak quickly received a response from Barwick, saying that he will receive a detailed explanation from National League chief executive Michael Tattershall.

Hawks also released a statement yesterday tea-time, which read:

‘Havant and Waterlooville Football Club Board met this morning to discuss the implications of yesterday’s National League South’s meeting.

‘It’s the Boards clear position that we are unhappy with the proposals made by The National League to prevent the play-offs from taking place.

‘After the EFL decision this week that approved a new resolution to accept promotion and relegation throughout their leagues, it seemed inevitable to us that The National League would follow suit to maintain sporting integrity.

‘The Club has put forward an amendment to The National League Board’s existing ordinary resolution, to allow the promotion of the second placed club if play-offs cannot take place.

‘We would like to emphasise that our preferred position is for play-offs to be continued and we fight for the right to earn promotion on the field of play.

‘Should play-offs not be possible in the National League and North and South, we firmly believe a consistent approach is required across all three divisions.

‘On a final note, we had the pleasure of meeting Alan Mak, our local MP, and Alex Rennie, our local Ward District Councillor, who have both pledged to support the Club in any way possible.

‘We’d like to assure our supporters that the Board is fighting very hard on your behalf.’