Brian Barwick: Clubs pressurise National League chairman over funding

Notts County had an average crowd of 5,210 fans at Meadow Lane last season as they narrowly missed out on promotion from the National League

National League chairman Brian Barwick is coming under pressure from a number of clubs to explain why the £10m given to the league by the government is not being allocated according to lost gate receipts.

The funding was allocated last month to act as compensation for the National League's 66 member clubs agreeing to start the 2020-21 season behind closed doors.

Without the money, which it is intended to cover the clubs through to January, it was felt there was no chance of the league being completed.

However, rather than make payments based on the likely losses had attendances matched those of previous seasons, only four sizes of payment are being made, ranging from £30,000 to £95,000 per month.

While the best supported clubs in each league have been placed in the higher bracket, they feel the move has disadvantaged them.

Notts County's £95,000 per month payment equates to £18.23 per fan on their 5,210 average last season. For Boreham Wood, their £84,000 per month is £116.02 for each fan of the 724 average crowd they had for league games.

Speaking on behalf of nine clubs - AFC Fylde, AFC Telford, Dulwich Hamlet, Hereford, Kidderminster, Maidstone, Dorking and Chesterfield - Hereford chairman Andrew Graham said numerous requests for clarification about the matter have gone unheeded - and the clubs concerned hold Barwick responsible.

"Clubs should now be focusing on how to continue providing football facilities and entertainment for their communities, backed up by generous government financing," said Graham.

"Instead some clubs are facing financial turmoil, due to what appears to be the National League board's serious errors of judgment in making unilateral, subjective decisions regarding distribution, which ignore government guidelines and ignore the board's conflicts of interest. Our clubs cannot let this pass unchecked, as it has resulted in some clubs now facing serious financial difficulty.

"We are left with no option other than to immediately call for Brian Barwick to resign and for an independent panel to be appointed to review this matter transparently and objectively."

In a statement, the National League said it had been in correspondence with the nine clubs and had "explained its rationale" for allocating funding. It said the allocation of grant payments would be kept under review.

A National League spokesperson said: "It is disappointing that a small number of clubs are seeking to circumvent the proper channels for challenging decisions, and it is regrettable their public statement fails to recognise the National League has already confirmed in writing to each of them the formation of an independent review committee to hear and assess their grievances.

"The National League's core objective continues to be to try and ensure all its 66 member clubs are able to continue to play behind closed doors this season and to remain in business as much-valued community clubs."