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National League Fines
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National League Statement | Outcome Of Club Charges
By Oliver Osborn
An Independent Panel, commissioned by The National League, has met to hear the cases of 18 Member Clubs charged with alleged breaches of League Rules. 16 Member Clubs were charged with a breach of League Rule 8.39, 1 Member Club was charged with a breach of League Rule 4.2 and 1 Member Club was charged with a breach of both League Rule 4.2 and 8.39.Rule 8.39 relates to any Club without just cause failing to fulfil an engagement to play a Competition match on an appointed date. Rule 4.2 provides The National League Board with the ability to issue an instruction, by way of Board Directive, in the best interests of any matter outside of the Rules. On this occasion, Rule 4.2 has been utilised to ensure The National League’s Covid-19 protocols are followed correctly by each Member Club. The findings of the hearings, divided into three categories, can be found below:
Dover Athletic
An Independent Panel has ruled that Dover Athletic are deemed guilty of four breaches of Rule 8.39 for failing to meet fixture obligations between February 16th and February 27th. The Club will play no further part in the 2020/21 Playing Season, with the Club’s existing National League (Step One) results expunged. A 12-point deduction for the 2021/22 Playing Season and fine of £40,000 have additionally been issued. The Panel had regard to financial information provided by Dover Athletic and fully respected the responsibility of the Club’s Directors under Company Law. However, the Panel also had to consider the integrity of the Competition and the actions of Dover Athletic in relation to the other 22 Clubs that continue to incur much costs as they fulfill their fixtures. Dover Athletic had avoided costs by not completing their Season alongside the other 22 Clubs. In addition, The National League basic award meant they were significantly benefiting from not completing the Season compared to the 22 Clubs that continued. The Panel concluded that three points per breach should be deducted from the Club’s record in Playing Season 2021/22. In view of the current financial situation and in order to reflect the approach taken in other cases of breaches of Rule 8.39, the Independent Panel reduced the initial fine by 20% to £40,000.
Non-Fulfilment of Fixtures at Step Two
An Independent Panel has ruled that 16 Member Clubs participating in National League North and South (Step Two) are guilty of breaching Rule 8.39 for failing to meet fixture obligations.Fines ranging from £1,400 to £8,000 in addition to a suspended points deduction for the 2021/22 Playing Season has been issued to each Member Club found guilty. Given the extremely unusual circumstances that have affected football at all levels and the financial pressures the absence of spectators has brought to bear on clubs, the Panel expressed its sympathy with the Clubs’ predicament. However, the Panel believes it must also take regard of the fact that the majority of Clubs continued to fulfil fixtures and incur much costs until the League ended on February 19th. Per breach, each Club received a £2,000 fine and suspended two-point deduction for the 2021/22 Playing Season. A 30% reduction was made to the fine for those accepting the charge ahead of the hearing.
Covid-19 Related Breaches
King’s Lynn Town and Southport have been found guilty by an Independent Panel of a breach of The National League’s Covid-19 protocols. Season 2020/21 had started under restrictions imposed to help control the spread of Covid-19 virus. In order to ensure the Season could continue safely, The National League had developed a number of protocols with Club Process Flow Charts which were to be followed by Clubs. The Panel imposed a 12-month suspended fine of £2,000 on King’s Lynn Town for an unintentional error, considered to be in the best efforts to ensure a fixture was played. The Club were warned for their future conduct in relation to Covid-19 protocols, with the suspended fine only to be issued if the Club is found guilty of a further breach of Covid-19 protocols. The Panel issued a £2,000 fine to Southport for, based on the evidence received, misinformation of the status of a player’s Covid-19 test to avoid playing a fixture on dates set by the League. The Club were also warned their future conduct in relation to Covid-19 protocols.
*There is a right of appeal to the Football Association.
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Re: National League Fines
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From Ripley & Heanor News regarding Alfreton Town FC
National League clubs fined for failing to fulfil fixtures after funding expired
Clubs from the three National League divisions have received fines and points deductions for opting not to fulfil fixtures after funding expired. A total of 17 clubs have been handed punishments ranging from £40,000 to £1,400.
Alfreton Town have not commented as to whether they are among the sides facing fines. However, despite a number of planned fixtures not going ahead, the Reds did not publicly refuse to play a contest. Home matches against Boston United, York City and Gloucester City did not go ahead due to waterlogged and frozen pitches.
Spennymoor Town opted not to host their scheduled home match against the Reds and Blyth Spartans made the decision not to play their home game against Town.
Worst hit are Dover Athletic, who have been fined £40,000 and given a 12-point deduction, which comes into play next season. The National League side said they could not afford to complete their campaign - which continued following a vote by member clubs - without funding to supplement the revenue lost by not having fans in the ground.
In step two, 16 National League North and clubs were found guilty of breaching rule 8.39 for failing to meet fixture obligations. Before the campaign was declared null and void, clubs had stated they too were unable to fulfil fixtures without their usual match day revenue streams.
A National League statement read: "Given the extremely unusual circumstances that have affected football at all levels and the financial pressures the absence of spectators has brought to bear on clubs, the panel (an independent panel commissioned by the National League) expressed its sympathy with the clubs’ predicament.
"However, the panel believes it must also take regard of the fact that the majority of clubs continued to fulfil fixtures and incur much costs until the League ended on February 19 " Per breach, each club received a £2,000 fine and suspended two-point deduction for the 2021-22 playing season. A 30 per cent reduction was made to the fine for those accepting the charge ahead of the hearing."
Last edited by Matchman (28/3/2021 2:18 PM)
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Re: National League Fines
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Curzon Ashton has been fined £8,000 for not fulfilling fixtures. Chairman Wayne Salkeld on @BBCRMsport: "It's unbelievable...we can't afford to pay it." "I have no confidence in those who are running the National League at the moment, because of the decisions they're making."
Below is an updated list of other clubs who have made their fine public:
Last edited by Matchman (28/3/2021 2:46 PM)
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Re: National League Fines
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Ollie Bayliss[/url][url=]@Ollie_Bayliss National League clubs have been asked if they will support an EGM to debate this resolution: "The meeting has no confidence in the Chairman and the Board." The EGM is being proposed by Maidstone United and Dorking Wanderers. Clubs have been asked to respond by 12pm Wednesday. 
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Thread Starter- WhiteBallProject
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Re: National League Fines
I find it difficult to get my head round these fines. Most teams I would have presumed must have had a very good reason not to play. I thought they would have all been down to safety fears. It is ironic that those who have stopped because they could afford to carry are being fined as a result making their financial position even worse. Unfortunately the fallout from this decision will be being felt for months I fear!
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Re: National League Fines
i will try to write a post about this without swearing .
The FA { sorry first swear word } never cease to amaze me to how thick they really are when it comes to the non league . They dont understand that in non league clubs are on their arses when it comes to money . Who are the FA made up of ? These cases arent down to the day to day normal football this was under severe circumstances which we well know of . But no the FA just see it as just bloody black and white. Many clubs have been under terrible money wise they need some leniency and understanding not you have a terrible within the FA rules how dare you. YOU WILL FINED AND DEDUCTED POINTS .....
Well done you morons
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I feel dreadfully sorry for the teams who have been fined, especially Dover. A £40,000 fine is enough push many clubs over the edge and into Administration, the very outcome that they were trying to avoid by refusing to play.
I also have some sympathy for the National League Board who found themselves in an unprecedented and a 'no win' situation when the funding grants ended. At that point, the Board put it to a vote by clubs as to whether they ended the season then or carried on. The result of the vote by a small majority was to continue playing and I think many clubs only voted to carry on because they felt duty bound having accepted the funding up until then.
So the clubs who were not financially strong (or who were being responsible owners), were put into a position where, if they took out the available loans to enable them to carry on playing, they would soon become insolvent.
Surely it is wrong to punish the clubs who stopped playing because it would make them insolvent.
Last edited by Matchman (31/3/2021 7:58 AM)
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Thread Starter- WhiteBallProject
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Re: National League Fines
kevilsonlad wrote:
i will try to write a post about this without swearing .
The FA { sorry first swear word } never cease to amaze me to how thick they really are when it comes to the non league . They dont understand that in non league clubs are on their arses when it comes to money . Who are the FA made up of ? These cases arent down to the day to day normal football this was under severe circumstances which we well know of . But no the FA just see it as just bloody black and white. Many clubs have been under terrible money wise they need some leniency and understanding not you have a terrible within the FA rules how dare you. YOU WILL FINED AND DEDUCTED POINTS .....
Well done you morons
I fully understand the points you make Kev but I thought it was the National League who had fined Dover. Either way it still does not seem very fair!
- kevilsonlad
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Re: National League Fines
i will try to write a post about this without swearing .
The FA { sorry first swear word } never cease to amaze me to how thick they really are when it comes to the non league . They dont understand that in non league clubs are on their arses when it comes to money . Who are the FA made up of ? These cases arent down to the day to day normal football this was under severe circumstances which we well know of . But no the FA just see it as just bloody black and white. Many clubs have been under terrible money wise they need some leniency and understanding not you have a terrible within the FA rules how dare you. YOU WILL FINED AND DEDUCTED POINTS .....
Well done you moronsI fully understand the points you make Kev but I thought it was the National League who had fined Dover. Either way it still does not seem very fair!
It just that the point of all the this has come from the covid pandemic not any doing of the clubs ......
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Re: National League Fines
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Ollie Bayliss[/url][url=]@Ollie_Bayliss·22m
Today is the deadline for National League clubs to register support for an EGM to hold vote of 'no confidence' in the chairman & the board. Clubs understand they need 10% of the weighted voted to call the EGM & 75% of the vote to pass a motion of no confidence.
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Re: National League Fines
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This is the result of the National League's motion of no confidence in the League's chairman and board
National League: 0 For, 21 Against, 2 Abstain
N L North: 16 For, 4 Against, 2 Abstain
N L South: 17 For, 4 Against
So 33 clubs voted for the motion of no confidence, and 29 voted against
However, the voting rights are as follows :
The clubs in the top division get one vote per club,
The clubs in the NL North and NL South divisions only get 4 votes per division
Therefore the motion failed.
The clubs in the top division of the National League have all of the power
Last edited by Matchman (26/5/2021 5:43 PM)
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The National League has published the following statement on the EGM
[url=]
So the NL North and South' s combined 33 votes in favour of the resolution only counted as 7 votes
The National League's board say : "While the vote was convincing......."
It was only convincing because of the way the voting is weighted in favour of the top division clubs.
Surely it should be one vote for every club in the league[/url]
Last edited by Matchman (27/5/2021 9:32 AM)
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