Chesterfield vote to immediately end National League season plus why Ashley Carson is "disappointed" with Premier League

Chesterfield have voted for an immediate end to the National League season.
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The National League has announced a proposal to cancel all remaining fixtures up to and including April 25 and advised all clubs to approve it.

The league has sent out voting forms and clubs have until May 7 to make their decision.

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Chesterfield have returned their voting form and have gone along with the recommendation to immediately end the season.

Chesterfield have voted to immediately end the National League season. No games have been played since March 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic.Chesterfield have voted to immediately end the National League season. No games have been played since March 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Chesterfield have voted to immediately end the National League season. No games have been played since March 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, we understand that Spireites company secretary, Ashley Carson, is “disappointed” with the lack of financial support from the Premier League and National League.

Last week the Premier League announced a £125m financial package for EFL and National League clubs but it has transpired that this is an advance on money that they would have received at the start of August as a solidarity payment and is not extra funding.

Clubs in the National League will receive £58,333 and those in the North and South divisions will get £13,636. The money will be advanced to clubs next week.

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Mr Carson told the DT: “We have been given a hand out from next season's money. This only delays the problem. So we are just robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

If clubs vote to finish the campaign next week then the league will propose options, which are likely to include null and avoid or average points per game, to determine the outcomes of the season.

Either way Chesterfield will avoid relegation from the National League but would slip one place below Wrexham to 20th if the season is decided on average points because the Red Dragons have played one game fewer than the Blues.

The league will first poll clubs in the National League North and South to determine the outcomes of the those divisions. National League clubs will then vote for how their season should be concluded.

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Confusingly, all 24 National League clubs will get a vote but only four clubs per North and South divisions will get a vote.

If the votes are equal the chairman of the National League, Brian Barwick, will get the final say.

The league did not recommend the postponement of matches due to a lack of uncertainty of when it will be safe to resume playing games and how long this might be.

The possibility that the delay in playing postponed matches would significantly impact on the start date of the 2020/2021 season as well as the financial stress clubs would be put under to keep paying players for an unknown period were other factors.

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No games have been played in the National League since March 14 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The FA Council has ratified the decision to make steps 3-7 of non-league null and void despite more than 150 clubs expressing their opposition.