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Following today's National league board meeting, it was decided to suspend the north and south divisions for the next two weeks. The national league Premier division will continue as normal.

My understanding is this is to give clubs more time to understand the details before the vote. A number of clubs in North / South can't continue without further financial backing. Sadly, I can't see how this season completes.

Thought they had voted , Southport voted for a suspension - tough - this must mean we have a bye to the Trophy quarter finals
and can play our league fixture against Altrincham on Feb 6th

There was a vote for a two week North & South league suspension, allowing time to obtain further details, ahead of the main vote (sadly this has got a long way to run).

I would guess Southport will still play the match with us, as there is a pot of money in the game.

What is the significance of suspending the north and south for a fortnight, are their directors slower readers and need more time to digest. If they cannot afford to continue today then a fortnight down the road the situation is not going to be any brighter. Unless the league are sending a message to clubs in our league, agree to the proposals or we suspend the league as well.

It appears that north/south voted to take a short break whereas the majority of NL clubs wished to continue.

It now appears however that the league has confirmed to clubs that it is NO LONGER considering the option of the league taking a loan and distributing it to clubs.

Therefore games are now continuing with no further funding available. What a complete and utter shambles and it beggars belief that the National League did not get an agreement in writing from the DCMS as far as future grants in January being concerned.

So it now appears the only option for the NL to continue is for DCMS to backtrack and provide further grants which doesn't appear likely at the moment.

A farce of epic proportions.

Where did you see that about the league withdrawing the loan option Mr Bruce ? You are beginning to worry me now.

I have also read that Option 2. The league offering clubs a grant is off the table.

Just out of interest has the club ever revealed streaming figures and how does this compare to normal gate receipts.

I would think the majority of regular visitors to Plainmoor would purchase the stream plus a good number of away supporters who wouldn’t normally travel?
Take yesterday for example we would normally take a couple of hundred away to notts county surely the same number who watch the home streams would watch the away meaning Notts county would get a good cash boost?

Is this enough with any grants already given to keep the season going?

In guess teams in NL N&S don’t have enough fans for this to keep them going?

Kingsgull83 wrote: ↑24 Jan 2021, 11:44
Take yesterday for example we would normally take a couple of hundred away to notts county surely the same number who watch the home streams would watch the away meaning Notts county would get a good cash boost?

Whilst, as a season ticket holder, I have been streaming the home games I don't stream the away matches. I suspect that most are like me and want to confine their financial support to our club rather than the opposition.

I think I have streamed every game including the Fa Trophy ties! - not so sure its about giving the other teams money, its wanting to see us in action.

I doubt the streaming will in any way cover the costs of keeping the league going. The National League board seem a faceless bunch and as reported elsewhere it seems difficult to obtain information on who is actually running the show.

It seems the Yeovil chairman is on the board and they are one of the worst culprits in their inability to fulfill fixtures so basically I have no confidence whatsoever that they will come up with a solution to prevent the league ending mid season. I hope I am proved wrong. I was reading an article whereby one of the clubs chairman (may have been Chester or Kidderminster) launched a withering attack on the National League board stating that in any other business the whole lot of them would have resigned by now such has been their ineptitude.

On the subject of Yeovil I see they are self isolating again. They didn't play on Saturday and despite a full list of fixtures on Tuesday they don't appear to have a game the either. Call me a cynic but they are presumably saving money by not playing games, which will be rather convenient if the season ends in less than a fortnight.

I have also read another article from a NLS chairman who says that it will cost the government more in furlough payments to players if the league stops but I have no idea if this is correct.

It does look very bleak at the moment.

I've streamed all the games too. I think it's with us to stay for the foreseeable future.

brucie wrote: ↑24 Jan 2021, 23:37 I think I have streamed every game including the Fa Trophy ties! - not so sure its about giving the other teams money, its wanting to see us in action.

With the exception of the home games I was allowed to attend .........I agree with Brucie !

Modgull wrote: ↑24 Jan 2021, 22:50 Whilst, as a season ticket holder, I have been streaming the home games I don't stream the away matches. I suspect that most are like me and want to confine their financial support to our club rather than the opposition.

I find this approach interesting (unless fans can’t afford both home and away streams?) people would rather miss the game than put £10 in the pockets of a rival team.

If everyone took this approach the season would of finished months ago. Surely all clubs are in the together?

Southport have voted to just "shut up shop' for the rest of the season.

https://southportfc.net/southport-vote-option-3/

The safety of their players and staff is the reason they voted to suspend the season and nothing to do with the loan/grant argument.

Opinions from most clubs seems to depend on where they are in the table. But what is more disconcerting, it appears 12 clubs in the National League, said they wanted the season suspended immediately.

Is this good news?!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55826509