Onlooker gives his view as to how the voting might go in the National League quest to find out if clubs want to continue playing this season.
So far the only clubs who have revealed how they have voted or intend to vote are from the National League North and South, apart from Wrexham who have said they will abstain. With the National League holding the majority of the votes, 23 against 4 each from National North and South, predicting the outcome of the vote is nothing more than blind guesswork. My feeling is that the National League have a majority in favour of continuing the season, National North wish to terminate the season and National South is too close to call. Here’s how I think the voting will go.
Resolution 1. This would allow the different steps to decide their own fate. It is a Special Resolution and requires 75% of the votes (24) to pass. You would expect all clubs to vote in favour, particularly those in National North and South who wish to end the season. Clubs in these divisions who wish to continue the season may feel the best chance of achieving this would be for Resolution 1 to fail and the decision go to Resolution 4, a vote by all members of the National League to apply to all three divisions. They may therefore vote tactically against Resolution 1.
I expect this resolution to be carried with the required 75% of votes.
Resolutions 2, 3 and 4 are Ordinary Resolutions and require a simple majority of votes.
Resolution 2. This is a vote by National League clubs to terminate the season. I expect this to fail by a comfortable majority and the National League will continue.
Resolution 3. This is a vote by National League North and South Clubs to terminate the season. Each club will have one vote and the result will be binding on both North and South divisions. I expect this resolution to pass with around 27 votes for, and 16 against, meaning the season will be null and void for both North and South divisions.
Resolution 4. As I said earlier I expect Resolution 1 to succeed which means Resolution 4 will not feature in the voting. However if I am wrong and the season is decided by this resolution I expect it to be defeated comfortably meaning the season will continue for all the National League divisions. National North and South revert to 4 votes each for this Resolution.
If the votes are close there will be a lot of resentment among the clubs who are forced to play or stop playing against their wishes.
In my opinion it is also questionable whether the season will be completed in any case. We are now into the second half of the season and National North has played only 35% of their fixtures. We could well be facing the football equivalent of the Duckworth Lewis system with the final placings, play offs and relegation from the National League being decided on points per game for the second season running.
BN would like to thank 'Onlooker' for this article.