Cash crisis puts National League season under threat but York City want to carry on

The National League, which administers the Conference Premier, North and South divisions, is due to have preliminary discussions with its clubs today about how to proceed after the Government grants that have got them this far through the season came to an end.

Clubs were given £10m in grants depending on their division – not attendances, to the anger of well-supported clubs such as York – but the only support for the rest of the campaign is access to £11m in loans.

With all clubs having more than half their league matches still to play and games behind closed doors for the foreseeable future, some do not think continuing is viable. York are not one of them, having budgeted for no fans this season, but may be outvoted.

“Every club has got to vote for themselves,” said McGill. “Primarily clubs have got to still keep going and can’t go into administration or liquidation, which could be the outcome of the continuation of football without crowds. York City are not in that position but I can totally understand clubs that are, they’ve got to protect their own interests.”

York successfully argued last season for sixth-tier football to be included in the definition of “elite sport”, allowing for Conference North play-offs, although they were knocked out of the semi-finals. York’s finances have been helped by a 10 per cent sell-on clause in former player Ben Godfrey’s £25m move from Norwich City to Everton in October.

“I don’t want the season to be curtailed because we’ve started, we’ve signed players and put a budget together that didn’t take into account any supporters through the gates or any funding from the National League or the Government,” said McGill.

“We can survive without supporters, not that we want that because the atmosphere without supporters, I don’t feel like it’s proper football.

“The Ben Godfrey money is only going to plug the gap but it does help the situation immensely.”

“Non-elite” football has been suspended in lockdown. Halifax Town play in the Conference Premier, York, Bradford Park Avenue, Guiseley and Farsley Celtic in the northern division.

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