National League: Torquay United boss expects top tier to reach conclusion
- Published
Gary Johnson's side have won 12 of their 19 National League games this season and have the best goal difference in the division
Torquay United boss Gary Johnson expects the National League's top tier to reach a conclusion this season.
Clubs will vote on the future of the campaign on Monday with second-tier sides having not played for two weeks after concerns about ongoing funding.
Johnson's team lead the non-league pyramid by nine points after 19 games.
"I don't think there's a great demand from the National League teams in our league that want to cancel the league," Johnson told BBC Radio Devon.
Having begun the season with grant money from the government to replace lost gate revenue due to Covid-19 restrictions, extra cash to see clubs through to the end of the season has been offered in the form of loans.
Many clubs, especially those in the North and South divisions of the National League, are against borrowing money to see out the season.
"There's got to be promotion and relegation into the EFL and out of it," added Johnson, whose side are hoping to return to League Two after seven years out of the English Football League.
"Everybody's working very hard to stay Covid safe and I think the powers that be want to try as much as they can to keep the football going.
"But the North and South are in a little bit more of a dangerous position as they don't get as much of a grant and some of those teams pay just as much in wages part-time as the full time lads who are training every day."
The National League season is due to end on 29 May, and Johnson does not expect it to be extended beyond that date in order to accommodate any possible relaxation in the rules regarding crowds returning to matches should Covid-19 cases drop.
Clubs did not start playing matches until the beginning of October, two months later than normal, but will finish just a month later than the normal end point.
"The lads are going to need a break, you can't go from one season to the next after playing the amount of games that we've played in the space of a short time," Johnson added.
"We'll just have to deal with it as and when it comes, try and live for today and do our best and hopefully if you're at the top of the league for most of the season then at least you're in a good position for whatever decision might be made."