Text at top (next game etc)

Next Game: Pre-Season

Saturday, November 21, 2020

What Is National League 'Methodology' Asks Maidstone Co-Owner

Maidstone is one of the nine clubs calling for National League to explain the 'methodology' used to distribute the recent £10M funding from the National Lottery.

Co-owner Terry Casey has written to Non-League Paper to explain his views.

"The board refers to the ‘methodology’ but still have not been prepared to explain the methodology behind the allocation of the money," says Casey.

"We are all aware that the most fundamental element of the distribution is that over £6 million will be sent to just 23 of the member clubs, leaving the remaining £3.9 million to 44 clubs.

"With the balance of distribution so grotesquely distorted in favour of the higher placed clubs, it is difficult to find that their statement ‘the board do not represent their own clubs’ has any credibility.

"The fact is that these clubs have already each been given £75k more than clubs in the south and north divisions.

"The board, who are heavily conflicted, also state that ‘the distribution fully complied with the terms of the agreement with Camelot’.

"The fact is that Camelot (who run the National Lottery) have made it clear that they do not want to be compromised by having a position on this matter.

"The board members are denying any involvement as they are conflicted but by their statement they are obviously heavily involved.

"The members state that ‘the majority of the clubs are perfectly happy with the distribution’.

"These are the clubs who been given many times more in compensation than they have lost.

"Under those circumstances they have every right to be ‘perfectly happy’.

"The National League and the government reassured us that the funding would be distributed according to lost gate revenue. This has not happened.

"It has put our very existence into turmoil while others are enjoying their windfall."