Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter says he was 'misled' over National League loans
- Published
Danny Hunter says allowing Boreham Wood to play in last season's play-offs cost him £80,000
Boreham Wood's chairman Danny Hunter says his club was refused a government loan because he had taken out loans to fund the club already.
National League clubs have been allowed to apply for loans from the £300m Sport Winter Survival Package.
Hunter says he took out two business interruption loans, deferred personal tax and remortgaged his house to fund the club ahead of this season.
"I now feel I've been misled by the governing bodies," Hunter said.
"To be told, after we had voted to continue, that my club is not now eligible for these Winter Survival loans with the long-term payment terms and preferential interest rates is a blow, as they are open to most other clubs which I feel is unjust," he added in a statement on the club website.
"If I hadn't taken those earlier business interruption loans, if I'd not deferred my tax, if I had repaid my remortgage and if I had decided to work hand to mouth and not created sensible cashflow, I would have got the loan - so for me that's madness.
"In other words, if I'd put my community football club bang in trouble, if I'd just worried about me and put my staff, my players and my suppliers lives and livelihoods in danger by not doing the right thing then the football club would apparently now be eligible for the winter survival loans on the improved terms which the other National League clubs are now getting."
Sport England, which administers the loans, say all bids for money are assessed on a case-by-case basis by an independent board appointed by the government.
For clubs to be eligible for government loans the board has to deem that a club has a risk of being unable to trade by the end of this month - the panel judged that the loans taken out by Hunter could see the club through until March 2022.
National League clubs have been unhappy with the way further funding for their league has been handled by the government in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Having begun this season with grants, they were told that any funding in 2021 would have to come in the form of loans, with many owners unhappy at having to borrow money to cover playing costs having had no fans at matches for almost a year.
It has led to National Leagues North and South voting to end their season last month, while seven clubs in the National League also voted to stop playing. Dover Athletic have not played since the end of January and furloughed their players last month.