Hartlepool United Q&A: National League facing crunch time over big decision, financial pressures and promotion/relegation dilemma

We examine some of the key issues facing clubs and how the season should be concluded and what would be the best outcome in deciding promotion and relegation issues.

Dominic Scurr

1) What did you think about the NL decision to ballot clubs on what the next steps should be?

Putting the onus on clubs to make a decision once again displays the unsystematic lack of leadership and conviction the National League has shown throughout the handling of this crisis.

The word unprecedented is something we've heard countless times in recent weeks but it does accurately describe what is happening in football right now and there are incredibly difficult decisions to be made all of which will have far-reaching and long-lasting consequences.

I don't envy the National League's position, they're in a no-win situation. But effectively passing the buck to its clubs just seems like it's going to cause even more trouble and uncertainty.

Firstly clubs didn't initially know what they'd be voting for. If they voted for the season to end, what happens next? Would it be voided or will there still be promotions and relegations? It's this lack of clarity that has caused so much unrest so far.

Despite what they say, clubs will ultimately act in their own interests which may lead to a result which isn't the right one for football. It's obvious relegation-threatened sides like Fylde will want the season voided while top of the table Barrow will want to see their efforts rewarded.

In the partisan world of football, it should be down to the supposedly impartial overseer of 68 teams across the country to take matters into its own hands when something so important is at stake.

2) Are you in favour of ending the current campaign now and if not, how would you like to see the situation resolved?

Something just wouldn't feel right about ending a season which is three-quarters of the way through. A season that is so close to being concluded should take priority over a season which hasn't even started.

Obviously, both options have significant issues and potential drawbacks but the season should continue when it is fit and proper to do so. The main issue this would cause is in regard to club finances.

Ending the season now would help protect clubs but destroy the integrity of the league and pyramid system by preventing promotions and relegations. The survival of clubs should be the priority.

Football is very much a business these days and if your club is continually operating on a loss, then measures should be put in place to reduce that as much as possible rather than expect or demand some form of bailout.

Difficult decisions will have to be made during this incredibly uncertain period we find ourselves in but as long as it's possible to finish the current season, steps should be made to do that.

If the Premier League are so committed to finishing their season then they could help ensure that campaigns down the football pyramid could be completed. This would be an idyllic scenario that would preserve both the pyramid's integrity and the clubs themselves.

3) If the season was brought to an end, how would you sort the promotion/relegation issues?

There's not going to be a popular answer to this one but the simplest solution would be to promote Barrow, as the league leaders, up to League Two based on a points per game table. No relegations from League Two will restore the EFL to 92 teams following Bury's expulsion at the start of the season.

Bottom two teams Fylde and Chorley get relegated to the National League North and third-bottom side on PPG Ebbsfleet United would drop to the National League South (which would cause a standard reshuffle of the National League North/South).

In turn, we'd see Wealdstone and King's Lynn promoted from the National League South and North respectively based on the same format.

This leaves the National League with 22 teams which will help slightly reduce costs and fixture congestion for the coming season.

It has to be said that this is far from an ideal situation to be promoting or relegated any sides based on an incomplete season - but these would be extreme circumstances.

No one could have predicted what would happen, every team has played each other at least once so it would be better to reward success by promoting teams rather than reward failure by expunging all results.

The National League have shown on a number of occasions to take matters into their own hands and relegate teams that finish outside of the relegation zone.

This is not to say the National League are necessarily wrong to do that, often it's a case of a team breaching rules or being mismanaged. But if you can relegate a team that has finished in the top 10, then surely it wouldn't be so remiss to suggest the teams who are statistically the worst in the division three-quarters of the way through the season should go down?

4) In terms of the financial pressures on clubs, is it best to end the season now to save costs?

From a business point of view, it makes sense to end the season now and provide some clarity which will allow clubs to properly assess the situation rather than being left in limbo.

As I mentioned previously, ending the season now would help protect and preserve clubs which is ultimately the most important thing.

But at the same time, the season should only be ended if all other avenues and attempts to conclude the season have been exhausted.

Richard Mennear:

1) What did you think about the NL decision to ballot clubs on what the next steps should be?

It’s always wise for there to be a degree of consultation in these matters to get a broad spectrum of the particular issues and financial worries concerning clubs.

But ultimately the decision over whether to end the current season must be made by the governing body, the National League board.

How can the individual clubs be asked to make that call when each will have their own agenda? Those near the top of the league, pushing for automatic promotion or a play-off spot, will want to carry on when safe and those near the bottom, in relegation danger, would want it to end so as to give them the best chance of staying up and starting again.

The National League has got this one wrong.

2) Are you in favour of ending the current campaign now and if not, how would you like to see the situation resolved?

This is a very complex issue. Ultimately the preferred option would be for the season to be concluded when safe, to ensure the integrity of the league with promotion and relegation issues decided fairly.

However, one thing that is clear, is that while the Premier League and EFL are committed to finishing the campaign, nobody knows when that will be possible - almost certainly it will be behind-closed-doors.

And what use is that to the National League clubs who rely on gate receipt and matchday income to survive? You can’t suspend the season indefinitely and hope clubs just survive.

They won’t, not with no income coming in.

There is probably scope to wait another couple of weeks and hopefully then there may be a clearer picture if it will be possible to complete but the time to make a decision is rapidly approaching.

Ultimately whether clubs can survive or not will depend on it.

If clubs can cut costs now and mothball for a few months but still have a club to return to, then that will likely be the best option for the majority.

3) If the season was brought to an end, how would you sort the promotion/relegation issues?

If the result of the vote was to bring the season to an end and then decide on the promotion and relegation issues, then there would only be one fair way to conclude matters.

And that’s on a points-per-game (PPG) ratio.

It would be unfair to just take the table as it is, as some teams have played as many as four games less than their rivals.

Barrow are top but only by four points with 9 games to go so you couldn’t just promote them based on the current table as there are still 27 points to play for.

They would go up anyway, however, based on PPG.There are still issues over PPG though, do you take it based on the games played currently? Or have a cut off point so all clubs would be equal in terms of games played? You’d then potentially have clubs falling into the relegation zone that had since moved clear.

It’s complex and there are no easy answers but these are unprecedented times and you won’t please everyone.

On balance though, PPG would seemingly be the fairest way to decide promotion and relegation matters if the season was brought to a close.

4) In terms of the financial pressures on clubs, is it best to end the season now to save costs?

The longer the suspension goes on - and nobody knows when it will be lifted - then you’d have to say yes there is a growing case for the National League season to be ended now to save costs.

Clubs cannot afford to extend player contracts for May and June with no income coming in and no guarantee of when the football will return.

National League clubs do not have the riches that the Premier League clubs do in terms of television revenue but even that is relative to living within your means.

While there is an appetite to finish the season higher up the football pyramid, it would seem increasingly difficult to do so with each passing week, especially in the fifth tier.

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