How the National League hopes to be able to help clubs like Chesterfield during coronavirus crisis

The Premier League has advanced £2m to National League clubs to share but this is money they would have received in August as solidarity payments so it does not present teams with additional funding.

Step one clubs like Chesterfield will receive £58,333 while those in step two will get £13,636.

A number of clubs have criticised this move - including the Spireites - saying it only delays the financial difficulties they will face rather than solve them.

“I’m hoping we will be able to build a fighting fund up to help clubs out,” Mr Barwick told The Non-League Paper.

“We’re making lots of phone calls to try and raise some more money but these are real tough times, everyone else is suffering as well.

“I have an aspiration that we try to find some more money from somewhere to try and help our clubs.

“The great ambition I have is we have 68 clubs going into it and 68 clubs coming out of it. If we do that, the whole of our group of clubs and ourselves can be pretty proud.”

The National League season is suspended indefinitely and clubs have been asked to vote on whether they think the remaining fixtures should be cancelled.

If the recommendation is passed then clubs will hold a second vote on how to determine the outcomes of the season.

However, the National League has not explained what the possible outcomes will be so some clubs are refusing to vote.

Mr Barwick said that they wanted clubs to be able to have their say on what should happen rather than take it out of their hands.

“There have been no formal conversations about potential options at board level, but at the right time, in the right way, we’ll put back to the clubs in the different divisions what we believe is the potential range of options,” he added.