National League clubs threatening legal action after sixth tier seasons are declared null and void

Two clubs have announced they are pursuing legal action against the National League after it was dramatically revealed last night that the South and North divisions are to be null and voided.
Josh Taylor on the ball for Hawks at Dorking Wanderers in their last NL South game the regular 2019/20 season. Dorking are currently top of the division and threatening legal action following the decision to null and void the sixth tier campaigns in 2020/21. Pic: Kieron Louloudis.Josh Taylor on the ball for Hawks at Dorking Wanderers in their last NL South game the regular 2019/20 season. Dorking are currently top of the division and threatening legal action following the decision to null and void the sixth tier campaigns in 2020/21. Pic: Kieron Louloudis.
Josh Taylor on the ball for Hawks at Dorking Wanderers in their last NL South game the regular 2019/20 season. Dorking are currently top of the division and threatening legal action following the decision to null and void the sixth tier campaigns in 2020/21. Pic: Kieron Louloudis.

Table-topping pair Dorking Wanderers and Gloucester City are refusing to let the issue end without a fight.

Dorking are five points clear at the top of the South division with a game in hand on second-placed Dartford.

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Gloucester - like Dorking, aiming to win promotion to the top table of non-league football for the first time in their history - are also five points clear at the top of the North table. Second-placed AFC Fylde - who also voted to carry on - had three games in hand.

In a club statement Dorking said they felt the voting system encouraged National League clubs to vote for resolution one as it would rule out relegation to the South and North tiers.

The statement added: ‘At this stage we are in ongoing dialogue with our legal team and are taking high level legal advice to ascertain the validity of the resolution.’

Dorking owner/manager Marc White has been highly vocal in recent weeks about the need for the South division to be completed.

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He even suggested clubs who didn’t want to play on should be allowed to opt out and everyone else carry on.

In the South division, that would mean 2020/21 progressing with just the 12 clubs who voted to play on.

Dulwich, Chippenham, Slough, Bath, Maidstone, Hampton, Tonbridge and Billericay are believed to be eight of the nine South clubs that voted to null and void.

White has previously said that a null and void verdict would mean his club having to make people redundant.

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Gloucester chairman Alex Petheram, meanwhile, took to social media to say his club would be consulting their solicitors.

He said on Twitter: ‘Disappointing is the word of the day... but we’re never out the fight. I can confirm that we have now formally started legal action at @GCAFCofficial against the ‘null and void’ outcome. This isn’t to make clubs play on, its to allow promotion and relegation.’

Hawks were one of the 12 South clubs who voted to carry on playing, but CEO Stuart Munro told The News last night he would take the verdict ‘on the chin’ and accept it.

Dartford said the null and void verdict illustrated how ‘flawed’ the league rules are.

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A statement released by co-chairman Steve Irving said: ‘The result, in simple terms, was that out of 64 member clubs, 40 voted to carry on and 24 wanted the season to end.

‘This just goes to show that the league rules are flawed, where a vast minority of clubs can defeat the majority opinion.’

Ebbsfleet United also voted to carry on playing and declared themselves ‘extremely disappointed’ with the verdict.

‘A great deal of work, time, resources and a substantial amount of care and commitment has been invested in this season to date,’ a statement said.

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The null and voiding of the two divisions has seen around £4m of National Lottery funding effectively wasted.

Five clubs - Dulwich, Maidstone, Hereford, Chester and York - were handed £36,000 a month in October, November and December.

That’s a total of £108,000 per club - £540,000 in all.

The remaining 38 sixth tier clubs banked £30,000 a month - a total of £3.42 million.

The Government will now also have to pick up the tab of the 43 South and North clubs putting their players on furlough for around 13 weeks.

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