Rules for Curtailment of the Season

[SKIPPER]

Noticed Southend have brought more players in yesterday worrying

And we have signed nine players,four of whom are yet to start a game. The negativity on here is starting to make covid-19 seem like a sore throat.

[Tomo]

Yes we have signed 9 players but how many of them can score goals? Doesn't look good the last 2 games and not even a shot on target!

[barrowfan]

Signing 9 players after the start of the season smacks of desperation, and it very rarely works that that number of players will gel as quickly as needed.

And before anyone talks about negativity take a look at the reality of our situation.

[Suffolk Blue]

Signing 9 players after the start of the season smacks of desperation, and it very rarely works that that number of players will gel as quickly as needed.

And before anyone talks about negativity take a look at the reality of our situation.

Sadly have to agree with that last sentiment. Doesn't affect my lifelong passion for the club one iota but the reality is that we currently look inadequate and not equipped to deal with the requirements of this Division. That wont really change even if we escape the drop. We have underperformed on the pitch (against even my own modest expectations) from Day 1; decision making has been demonstrably poor from those in leadership and managerial positions; there's not much evidence to date that we've spent money wisely on recruitment and have ended up in a place that I never thought possible in terms of replacing virtually a whole squad in mid season and ending up with a surfeit of not wanted players. Feels like some other Barrow to be honest.

Anyway onwards! We can escape, we may escape, hope we do escape. And 20 games is quite a wad. But jeez we are poor.

[Suffolk Blue]

Quick update.

Kings Lynn Town have indicated that they will honour their next two National League fixtures but have also given strong hints that unless additional funding is secured (not loans) they may stop playing at the end of the month.

[Middleton Nick]

Dover were the first and slowly but surely more will follow suit and then decisions will have to be made.

[HenneysKnee]

Quick update.

Kings Lynn Town have indicated that they will honour their next two National League fixtures but have also given strong hints that unless additional funding is secured (not loans) they may stop playing at the end of the month.

The loans have been announced this morning, again not grants. So let’s see if they stick by what they’ve said

[Moribund]

Ollie Bayliss had an FOI for the minutes of the meetings where these loans and grants were discussed turned down by the DCMS. The only thing you can infer from that is that the government is covering it up because they clearly misled the National League clubs.

[RedWeb]

Don't see how the NL completes. Last season Covid didn't hit into the season until the end of March. Some teams had already played 39/46 games i.e. calling the season as it stood was fair enough. This season most teams are around 20/46 games. Dover have played 15/46. Going to end up in a farce where some teams stop playing, games are forfeit and others will take place with non-contract players (i.e. free/cheap).

[Suffolk Blue]

Ollie Bayliss had an FOI for the minutes of the meetings where these loans and grants were discussed turned down by the DCMS. The only thing you can infer from that is that the government is covering it up because they clearly misled the National League clubs.

Yes I saw that. I reckon some form of promise was given to the NL by the DCMS.

However what happened after the original £10m grant was that HMG through bodies like Sport England then put a very large rescue package (£500m) together to cover all sports based on low interest loans (the terms of these loan are not at all onerous - unless you are a NL club owner already personally steeped in debt). There was no way that the NL could receive special treatment once this was done. So they probably have been stitched.

The rejection of the FOI request tells you (a) the the DCMS are not going to admit any error and (b) its loans only and thats final. I understand offers of loans have been made to a number of clubs in the NL system but no offers have yet been taken up.

Thing to remember of course is that as each club stops then their results have to be expunged. If this happens with more than an odd one, the NL table just becomes a complete mess especially if this happens gradually. PPG then becomes a farce.

[Suffolk Blue]

If you have a few minutes to spare, you might be interested to check out Ollie Bayliss on twitter and in particular the results of a legal consultation put together (very professionally) by Dorking Wanderers (NLS).

Now Dorkings motives are almost unique. They were denied the opportunity to be promoted to the NL when the Special Resolutions were passed by the NL clubs a while ago and have been trying to get this reversed. What they have since done is to undertake a forensic examination of the process that was used to pass the resolutions. Specifically they've homed in on Resolution 1 of that process which you may recall established the validity of the NL (National) and NLS/NLN to split their voting processes. Resolution 1 also introduced weightings to the system to favour the NL clubs. This was seen by many as a rather crude way of enabling the NL to continue whilst "encouraging" Step 2 to stop. The whole thing was made even messier by the fact that the NLS voted to continue but the NLN voted to stop and the latter won the argument on an aggregation calculation again made up for the voting process.

The upshot of all this that their Legal advice provided has concluded firstly that the weightings applied to the voting on Resolution 1 (where NLN/NLS clubs only collectively were allowed 8 votes) was in breach of NL rules and secondly that whilst these rules could have been changed by special resolution that such a decision could only be made with the express prior approval of the FA.

Dorking then point out that it is apparent that the FA has not yet ratified the outcome of the NL resolutions and intimates that these legal considerations may be at least part of the reason. Further it suggests that the FA not only should not ratify them, but cannot now do so legally. Essentially intimating that the FA will fall foul of its own rules (i.e. for actually making or changing rules).

Its unclear what Dorking think they can now achieve by establishing their legal case. However since Resolutions 2,3 & 4 were all based on the outcome of Resolution 1 Dorking appear to be saying that the entire process by which the NL decided to carry on with their season was and is illegal. They also have other legal challenges including the adoption of a null and void outcome at step 2 that the NL/FA had previously described as inequitable to the principles of promotion and relegation and also with regard to the treatment of Dover where they are essentially saying that the punishment was just made up to suit the circumstances.

Clearly I'm not quoting all of this as a means of inspiring hope amongst BAFC supporters as I've long since concluded that the only way to avoid relegation is do do what we are now doing and fight to keep out of the bottom 2. But there will be a number of ears [SwearFilter] up at a few of the L2 clubs at this news. I dont think this issue is going to go away at least not yet and may drag on until the next round of AGMs/EGMs. I'd like to think we will be able to watch on from the sidelines without much personal interest.

I do wonder also what it is actually going to take for either the NL or the FA not to screw up practices their own operating procedures.

[HenneysKnee]

Brian Barwick stepping down as chairman of the league; just as clubs are proposing a vote of no confidence in him and the league

[Suffolk Blue]

Brian Barwick stepping down as chairman of the league; just as clubs are proposing a vote of no confidence in him and the league

Suggests that there may be a sufficient number of clubs prepared to vote for No Confidence and that Barwick has done this to avoid the vote happening. Be interesting to see how the NL puts itself back together and whether this move cools things.

[Suffolk Blue]

Ollie Bayliss reporting that 17 NL clubs have voted in favour of an EGM to pursue a vote of no confidence in the National League. NL board meeting today to consider response.

Still not sure what the clubs actually want now that Barwick has agreed to step down. They better be a little careful too. They are not sending paricularly clear signals to anyone at the moment that they are a fit and proper organisation.

[blue nige]

Ollie Bayliss reporting that 17 NL clubs have voted in favour of an EGM to pursue a vote of no confidence in the National League. NL board meeting today to consider response.

Still not sure what the clubs actually want now that Barwick has agreed to step down. They better be a little careful too. They are not sending paricularly clear signals to anyone at the moment that they are a fit and proper organisation.

I think the EFL will not tolerate the national league wanting promotion but the league themselves having no relegation because this would be a farce ( I would still say this even if we weren't in a relegation fight!).