Moneyfields chairman: Why I’ve signed the protest letter to the FA regarding null and voiding some non-league seasons

Over 150 grassroots clubs - plus Pompey’s League One rivals Peterborough United and Lincoln City - have signed a lawyer’s letter that has been sent to the FA asking for them to overturn their controversial ruling.

‘I don’t think the FA expected the amount of people who have jumped on this,’ said Seiden.

‘If over half the non-league clubs were to sign it then surely the FA would have to reverse their decision?

‘To get over 150 clubs signing, that must mean there’s a lot who are just signing because they think it’s the right thing to do, not because they were on course to win promotion.

‘The reason I am signing the letter is because no-one has yet explained to me why steps 3-7 have been singled out for null and void.

‘How can the FA say to some leagues ‘you can carry on’ but say to other leagues ‘we’re cancelling your season.

‘If the FA had come out and said every league was finishing, from the top down, I’d have accepted that and I wouldn’t be signing any letters.

‘Why are Havant being allowed to carry on but Moneyfields and Gosport have had to stop? That’s what I can’t understand. We put in just as much time and effort as clubs above us.’

Seiden summed up: ‘Hopefully the FA have been left a bit shocked by the reaction, but I don’t think it (the letter) will change the outcome - because it’s the FA we’re talking about.’

The Moneys chief is certainly right to say that not every club who have signed the letter was in the running for promotion.

East Preston have signed it despite being 17th in the Sussex Combination Premier and looking safe from relegation.

They have ‘come out’ in county solidarity with Worthing, Hastings, Lancing and Littlehampton - four clubs who topped their leagues at the time of the 2019/20 season being declared null and void for steps 3-7.

East Preston chairman Terry Doyle said: ‘Our view was that the decision to finish the season without some conclusion, and without any promotion or relegation, was unsatisfactory.

‘It rewards failure by keeping clubs up when they shouldn’t stay up, rather than rewarding success.

‘There are some teams who have already clinched promotion and others who would not be caught. Had we been in the position clubs at the top of league are in, we’d have been devastated, and we’d also hope for support from other clubs.’

Echoing Seiden’s comment, Doyle summed up: ‘We felt it right to back this national letter. But I’ve been in football long enough to know this may prove to be a protest rather than something that changes the decision.’

Meanwhile, two Sussex clubs’ local MPs have joined the crusade.

Worthing West MP Sir Peter Bottomley is backing Worthing FC’s battle over the decision by writing to the sports minister to question it.

Worthing led the Isthmian premier when football was suspended and were favourites for the title and promotion to National South.

A Worthing FC spokesman said: “Our local MP has asked for more insight into the FA’s decision to expunge the 2019-20 league. Sir Peter’s support on this issue is very welcome and we look forward to the response.”

Sally-Ann Hart, MP for Hastings and Rye, has also written to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden, after Hastings United owner Darren Burney asked her to get involved.

She has asked him to intervene and forced the FA to talk to clubs and reconsider the decision.

Sittingbourne have also signed the letter despite being lower mid-table in the Isthmian League South East, while Gainsborough Trinity have also signed despite being 11th in the Northern Premier League Premier Division with no realistic hope of going up or down.

As for Seiden’s own club, the FA decision to null and void did not impact on the first team at all. Their promotion hopes had long since disappeared, but second-placed Frome Town have signed the letter of protest.

Moneyfields Reserves and Ladies teams, though, were both on course to win promotion. Though the FA decision does not affect the former – they are step 8 – they are unable to win promotion from Division 1 of the Hampshire Premier League because no clubs are being relegated from the Senior Division.