Lots more midweek games, but two spare dates and no salary cap for Hawks in the 2020/21 National League South campaign

Clubs in the fifth and sixth tiers have been told to expect up to 12 midweek dates - virtually a third of the entire season’s league fixtures.

Last season, Hawks only had four home midweek games - and two of those were due to weekend postponements.

The fixtures for the new season are due to be released on September 8, with the National League starting on the first Saturday in October. The season is due to finish on the last Saturday of May, with the play-offs occupying the first three weekends of June.

But Hawks will get two spare dates in their calendar as there are only 21 teams competing in the South division this season, compared to 22 in 2019/20.

While Wealdstone and Weymouth went up, only Ebbsfleet came down - and no club was promoted into the division due to the FA null and voiding all leagues at steps 3-7 level.

The North division will still have 22, as two clubs - AFC Fylde and Chorley - came down from the National League to replace the two who went up.

Only one club will be relegated from each of the South and North divisions in 2020/21, plus the second-bottom team with the worst points-per-game record.

The two divisions will both have 24 clubs in 2021/22, though.

Six teams will be promoted - two from each of the Isthmian Premier, the Southern Premier South and the Southern Premier Central - into the South division at the end of next season.

Hawks director Trevor Brock told The News that NL discussions are taking place with regards to how many fans, if any, will be allowed in when the season starts.

‘There’s been talk of anything between 10 and 33 per cent of capacities,’ he said.

‘For us, if it was 10 per cent that’s around 550 people - and last season we were getting crowds of around 1,500.’

Brock is also waiting for information on how the early rounds of the FA Cup will work out financially if no fans are allowed in - bearing in mind the extra preliminary qualifying round takes place on Tuesday, September 1.

‘Normally the gate receipts are shared between the two clubs,’ he said.

‘But that’s only after VAT has been taken off and other expenses have been paid like the match officials, floodlights, stewards.

‘The away team also have their travel expenses paid, in addition to their 50 per cent of what’s left.

‘I don’t know how that is going to work without any gate receipts.’

There has been talk of a salary cap at National League level, in the same way it has been introduced - amidst much controversy - in the EFL.

A limit of £900,000 was discussed for the fifth tier and £600,000 for clubs at South and North level.

‘I don’t think it’s going to happen this season,’ said Brock.

‘It wouldn’t affect clubs at our level anyway - £600,000 is about £30,000 a week, there’s no club in our division who can afford that.

‘There’s also talk of a ‘luxury’ tax - meaning if any club spent more than their cap they’d have to pay more than they’d over-spent back in a fine.’

Hawks will have new shirt sponsors in 2020/21, with Cummings and Pope - a firm part-owned by Hawks chairman Derek Pope - the front of shirt sponsors.

The back of shirt sponsors are Drew Smith Homes, a company which Hawks boss Paul Doswell once worked for alongside Hawks chief executive Stuart Munro.

Restaurant 4 London Road - owned by Hawks director Mark Pope - will remain as a shirt sleeve sponsor.

Brock also revealed that two of Hawks’ new signings turned down a new contract offer from a National League club.

Both midfielder Godfrey Poku and centre half Moussa Diarra had been offered fresh terms by Woking, after playing regularly for the Cards in 2019/20.

As a result, both were free transfer signings.

Hawks will have to pay a compensation fee to Sutton for Tommy Wright, which will be set by a tribunal with no appeals from either side once the fee is decided.

The situation is not so clear yet about Joe Iaciofano, who was out of contract at St Albans but, due to the fact he is under 24, the club could be liable for some compensation.