National League clubs including Hartlepool United have until midday on Monday for no-confidence vote

Maidstone United tabled the proposal earlier this week and it was seconded by fellow National League South club Dorking Wanderers.

The 66 member clubs across the league’s three divisions were initially given until midday on Wednesday to state their intention – but this was extended to Monday lunchtime.

The North East’s National League North quartet of Blyth Spartans, Darlington, Gateshead and Spennymoor Town and National League promotion challengers Hartlepool United are yet to go public with their decision.

The move comes in the wake of a year of controversy in non-league’s top two tiers as the National League made a number of controversial decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The league has received criticism throughout the last 12 months for their ‘unfair and unjustified’ distribution of National Lottery funding and the chaos caused by a row over clubs requiring to apply for Sport England loans to complete their season after confusion over whether more funding would be made available.

Maidstone and Dorking described the league’s handling of the crisis as “questionable” in a letter dispatched the clubs across all three divisions in the aftermath of the league’s decision to fine 17 clubs for failing to fulfill fixtures as the outcome of a vote over how to complete the season was outstanding.

The North East quartet of Blyth, Darlington, Gateshead and Spennymoor all confirmed that they had received fines last week after postponing fixtures during January and February.

It was National League club Dover Athletic that were hit the hardest as they received a £40,000 and they will start the 2021/22 season on minus 12 points after deciding against continuing to play their fixtures in non-league’s top tier.

The Kent club have also had their playing record for the current season expunged.

The communication went on to state that the motion requires the support of 10% of clubs to trigger an emergency general meeting where the no confidence vote would be taken and called for “better governance at our levels of the pyramid structure”.

Should the motion receive the necessary support the EGM would likely take place over the next fortnight.

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