Brian Barwick’s decision to stand down as National League Chairman was precipitated by a motion of no confidence against him, ahead of the vote of National League clubs. Maidstone United tabled the proposal last week and this was supported by Dorking Wanderers, a fellow club in the National League South. The initial deadline of midday was given for the 66 teams across the league’s three divisions, by which they were expected to state their intentions. However, this deadline was postponed to a later date to give them more time.
National League North Quartet
Blyth Spartans, Darlington, Gateshead, Spennymoor Town (making up the North East’s National League North quartet) and National League challengers Hartlepool United have not yet gone public with their decision. The motion of no confidence came about as Barwick came under fire, with representatives from the 9 clubs from the National League, National League North and National League South, positing that the funds should be directed towards helping lost gate receipts, in accordance with guidelines and not on what would be considered a subjective judgment of clubs’ needs.
Critical Timing!
This decision comes at a critical time for the National League clubs, as there are fears that the departure of the former FA chief executive and television boss will result in the government becoming more reluctant to hand out future bailout money. Barwick has resided over as chairman since 2015, but Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on clubs, with the government handing the league a £10 million aid package last November.
Much condemnation was aimed at the league during the last 12 months for their biased and unjustified distribution of National Lottery funding, as well as the complete mess caused by an argument over clubs being required to apply for Sport England loans in order to see out their season, due in large part to the confusion about whether more funding would be granted.
Non League Football Odds
Non league football was one of the last leagues to stop last year. However, the leagues are quite large with many teams in each one, so there is always plenty of action. Also, non-league games are often available on live streams as there are limited TV rights for these games. However, if you are new to football betting then research the odds when betting on football so you understand how they work. Odd managers are great at giving you the best odds across multiple online bookmakers, and if you join more than one bookies online, you should be able to take advantage of multiple bonus offers!
Kent & Surrey Football
Maidstone and Dorking both were of the opinion that the way the league handled the crisis was “questionable” in a letter sent to clubs across all three divisions. This followed the league’s decision to fine 17 clubs for failing to fulfill fixtures as the result of a vote on how to finish the season was outstanding.
In an interview with The Times, Barwick stated: “I’m very comfortable about my decision.”. Barwick said that the last 12 months have been the most difficult in his career and that this crisis had blown everyone out of the water. There will be some who think we’ve done a good job and some who don’t.
He had decided over Christmas that it was time for his time to finish and to step down. He said “I’m 67 in June and I’ve been around sport and sports broadcasting since 1979”.
The board is going to hold another meeting this Thursday, after which there will be an official announcement that Barwick is stepping down at the end of the season, according to the Times.
