League 2 is virtually like non-league these days.
So many clubs with peace time attendances around 2000 If they are lucky.
Professional football is not really viable at level unless it is either subsidised or bankrolled by rich backers.
Would happily see the back of all the hangers on making a living at this very lowly level.
Hopefully there will always be a Carlisle United to support whichever division we are in.
Football at our level, should be about punters coming through turnstiles and its increasingly not like that right now.

Slightly COVID related I was just reading Trevor Hemings has had to sink almost £10 million into PNE to keep them going over the last 12 months.

I’ve said before, but there’ll be big problems in the EFL in the coming years.

The clubs though with rich backers will do well but a lot aren’t and will struggle.

Social distancing being mentioned for next season.

It started for our back four on Tuesday I think.

And some more:

More from NC:

Slightly COVID related I was just reading Trevor Hemings has had to sink almost £10 million into PNE to keep them going over the last 12 months.

Social distancing being mentioned for next season.

NC on any potential fans return:

That would suit Barrow, in all fairness how would we feel if we were them - I don't think many would begrudge them a second year in the league, they might pull clear anyhow as that Kelly bloke seems to be keeping it simple and they up their game under his management.

Far better than the other two, Jolley will be lucky to get another job after that fiasco.

The National League constitution states that if there is no Relegation, then there can be no Promotion seemingly.

This one will run...

All football below the National League will be cancelled:

Hopefully, hopefully back to normal for a full season in August.

Kings Lynn, Wealdstone and Yeovil thinking of joining Dover in not fulfilling their games or at best use a youth team. With no relegation likely it should be easy to expunge the records of those don’t want to continue and carry on for those that do and kill two birds with one stone as they may be able to finish the season on time.

All football below the National League will be cancelled:

I wonder if a few more clubs, who voted to carry on with the conference, are having 2nd thoughts after the March 22nd rumour.

Looks like the return of fans will be next Season unless any possible “Test” fixture:

The majority of posters on the Dover fans forum are just hoping they still have a club to support regardless of which league they end up in.

It'll be a big re-shuffle of the pyramid if other teams in the league refuse to continue the season.

Those leagues should not restart until supporters can fully attend - I’d add the conference in that as well.

Null & void was the best option now but because they started and were assured of funding, lies by the national league, but they probably expected supporters by now in fairness they got players/staff that they will furlough and have no choice to make redundant when it ends.

No winners really.

I expect Dover will resign their position in the conference possibly along with the 6 others that voted for null & void. It’s up to the conference how they deal with that.

North and south - null and void.
Conference voted to carry on - A few clubs will go/resign I imagine.

Bad news for Barra, they were expecting Conference to be cancelled.....

North and south - null and void.
Conference voted to carry on - A few clubs will go/resign I imagine.

National League N/S declared ‘Null and Void’ for the 20/21 Season:

A dozen clubs in the NL/NLN/NLS say they will have to resign their positions regardless of the vote, to possibly save their clubs, as they are in that much debt already.

I think there’ll resign their place eventually.

Dover in National League place entire Club on Furlough, won’t play any games until they know what’s happening:

So yes I was wrong about the EFL cancelling the season now, they should have, but not the financial troubles.

The majority of National league sides have been sensible in refusing loans as there’s no guarantee of paying them back or there’ll be severely hampered on years to come. But we will see a lot of clubs resigning from that set up, which may be good for Workington.

As for the EFL, I think clubs have gambled, they don’t want to resign from the league or refuse loans so the majority have took them on. They may be hoping there’ll be written off or the EFL doesn’t call them in but there’s no guarantees of that.

No idea how clubs will pay them back which is why it’s important for the EFL to grow so they aren’t desperate for the money come 2024. Going to be an interesting few years.

One way of paying back the loans is by the EFL claimig a percentage of the gate money (after expenses) like the FA does with the FA Cup.

Only a suggestion.

Maybe, but all that will do is push the price back onto the supporter.

I’ve a feeling the EFL are in big trouble but they have managed to whether this storm out by loaning clubs money/future money to make it seem they know what there doing. While the national league board have been shown up to be a complete shambles now the EFL have bided their time so that when the shit hits the fan in a couple of years all those board members etc can leave and it’s up to others to sort out the shit.

So yes I was wrong about the EFL cancelling the season now, they should have, but not the financial troubles.

The majority of National league sides have been sensible in refusing loans as there’s no guarantee of paying them back or there’ll be severely hampered on years to come. But we will see a lot of clubs resigning from that set up, which may be good for Workington.

As for the EFL, I think clubs have gambled, they don’t want to resign from the league or refuse loans so the majority have took them on. They may be hoping there’ll be written off or the EFL doesn’t call them in but there’s no guarantees of that.

No idea how clubs will pay them back which is why it’s important for the EFL to grow so they aren’t desperate for the money come 2024. Going to be an interesting few years.

One way of paying back the loans is by the EFL claimig a percentage of the gate money (after expenses) like the FA does with the FA Cup.

Only a suggestion.

Non league been told a proportion of supporters may be allowed back, 2k, by the 22nd March. Depends on lots of factors I suppose but it’s a start.

After today’s postponements I wouldn’t be surprised if the EFL extend for a week. Supporters could be allowed back for Wembley at say 30% so that’ll be still 25-30k for a play off final so they’d still want to use Wembley before the Euros get it, if that ahead and to plan.

So yes I was wrong about the EFL cancelling the season now, they should have, but not the financial troubles.

The majority of National league sides have been sensible in refusing loans as there’s no guarantee of paying them back or there’ll be severely hampered on years to come. But we will see a lot of clubs resigning from that set up, which may be good for Workington.

As for the EFL, I think clubs have gambled, they don’t want to resign from the league or refuse loans so the majority have took them on. They may be hoping there’ll be written off or the EFL doesn’t call them in but there’s no guarantees of that.

No idea how clubs will pay them back which is why it’s important for the EFL to grow so they aren’t desperate for the money come 2024. Going to be an interesting few years.

The EFL will be completed now because clubs have been bribed by the little bit of premier league money and loans so have kicked any financial trouble down the road.

The EFL wouldn’t want to lose the TV money as that would likely bankrupt them so instead have given loans to clubs. I think they’ve told clubs to keep quiet about this.

These loans are supposed to be paid back in 2024. The interesting thing will be the state of the EFL at that time. Will they risk clubs going out of business by calling in the loans to save their skin/business.

So yes the season should have been cancelled. Look at the mess the national leagues in, all the EFLs done is to move this mess to another day.

Do you think the EFL season will get cancelled Mullen or do you expect it to be completed?

I know earlier in the season (before this thread) you were sure it would all be cancelled. I just wondered if you still think this.

National league is a joke at the moment.

The interesting thing will be what happens when the EFL start calling in their loans, supposed 2024, then the fun will start.

Fleetwood took out 800k and they are meant to be financially ok.

I'm just happy that Ru Paul wasn't canceled

Interesting Thread from Dulwich Hamlet, seems the National League has descended into a shambles:

Farce

Clubs will fold, a lot of clubs will fold due to mismanagement, lies, false promises, mis interpretation and a lack of money.

Clubs charged for not playing games, they can’t afford. Told to take loans clubs can’t afford or know the terms off.

It seems the national league board don’t know their own rules and what’s worrying is they are putting clubs in serious financial danger that If they carry on they won’t be a national league to administer.

Interesting Thread from Dulwich Hamlet, seems the National League has descended into a shambles:

It will divide their squad, one group of lads giving all for the cause whilst another gets paid to sit at home doing DIY and watching daytime TV.

Won't look good for their career either, would you take a chance on a player deemed that surplus they were put on furlough when others weren't?

You shouldn’t really furlough part of a team because they aren’t good enough - that’s not what furlough is for.

Yes furlough staff as they aren’t being used, but footballs still being played so furlough all and suspend or none at all. It’s immoral and some can say Barrow have an unfair advantage.

If football is suspended/cancelled use furlough. Don’t use it because you’ve used shite players.

Barrow have seemingly offered some unwanted Players the option of Furlough!

Liverpool and Man City have had Champions League games scheduled for Germany moved to Hungary, whilst Arsenal and Man Utd have had games scheduled for Portugal and Spain respectively moved to Italy...

With the new travel restrictions/isolation rules due to come in on Monday, I wonder how it will affect English teams playing in Europe. For instance Arsenal are due to play in Lisbon a week tomorrow.

North - most, who voted so far, voted to null and void.

South - even so far

Conference - Not many have gone public, even on those but I imagine there’ll vote to carry on. Dover’s chairmen resigned from the leagues board and talk is there’ll resign from the national leagues as they can’t afford to carry on. Maidenhead also likely to do the same along with Kings Lynn.

5000 grassroots clubs could close due to the virus restrictions.

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-thousands-of-grassroots-football-clubs-will-close-as-result-of-coronavirus-report-12210029?fbclid=IwAR1j6Ry2Ak0rjbvUPjNDD765fBPOSjydQnHdfZarXKRgBDXDvsVppNafSzY

Looks like most North and South clubs have voted to null and void and end.

Conference clubs are holding their cards to their chest. Yeovil living in cloud cuckoo land and want to ask the government for more money.

Interesting though that Dowden said today that supporters going back will be included in the governments new way out of lockdown and going back to restricted numbers and could happen before the end of the season.

AFC Fylde getting some stick from other national north clubs for voting to carry on.

They are privately funded though so will be fine. Again it’s look after your own, you can’t really blame them.

If the vote is carry on, under these circumstances, 20 clubs from north/south will go under and a couple from the conference.

EFLs fine “NOW” as clubs took the loan option. 2024 is going to be an interesting year for the EFL. Will they call in the loans with the possibility of bankrupting clubs they are meant to look after or risk bankrupting themselves.

Conference North will cancel but south might be split.

If the conference votes to continue a few clubs will go under. Dover a cert too, Yeovil struggling. Interesting week for that league.

I’d say North/south will vote to cancel/suspend on those terms.

The conference will be split. The top teams may feel the gamble is worth taking to carry on and get promotion to the football league.

The various views from the Clubs lean towards this:

I’m all for the National League playing to completion.

Purely for the fact Barnet are bottom...

I’d say North/south will vote to cancel/suspend on those terms.

The conference will be split. The top teams may feel the gamble is worth taking to carry on and get promotion to the football league.

https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/saturday-could-end-up-being-our-last-home-game-of-the-season-linnets-chairman-stephen-cleeve-9154597/?fbclid=IwAR34xSXJqCTaD8Vcthl0259PtRus3-Xs7OslsYwDLJytHJIqn2UFHWnYhVQ

Resolution on Monday - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55848918

Nigel Huddleston:

“The National League has already benefited from the Government support schemes through a £10m Government-brokered cash partnership with the National Lottery".

“With precious public money, we are providing support to the National League in the form of loans".

It doesn’t really help national league sides at all. I can see the season being cancelled in those leagues as clubs can’t afford loans and the grants are minimal.

Edit: Grants can’t be used for players salary

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-confirms-10-million-emergency-support-for-steps-3-6-of-the-national-league-system

Loans for steps 1-2, with grants if necessary.

It’ll be interesting to see if they accept. Going by what clubs were saying I’m not sure there’ll accept it or if it’ll be enough. Clubs ran well can get loans but those badly ran can maybe get a grant to survive.

Should be grants for all.

“ Govt set to announce £10m in grants available for non-league clubs in Steps 3 to 6.
Long term, low interest loans available to National League clubs in Steps 1 and 2, with grant support also considered for clubs in those tiers on a case by case basis”

About 12k each club

National League still to decide on 2020-21 season vote https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55818377

Complete mess.

The DCMS won’t stump up more cash and the national league won’t take on the loan and dish out grants to its members as it can’t afford too.

“ the botch has left many National League clubs in dire financial circumstances".

Can’t see many clubs surviving even if it is suspended now. Only saving grace is a government grant but I don’t think they will.

Edit: government grant not loan that’ll just push more clubs to debt they can’t repay.