'It could cause a slow death for some clubs that are in a similar situation' - Stark warning from non-league chief

The Northern League Division One club looked set to claim promotion into the Northern Premier League’s second tier last season – only to see their hopes ended by the Football Association’s decision to null and void the campaign.

The Railwaymen – along with a whole host of clubs across the North East – have been dealt a further blow with the restrictions placed upon them as they continue to battle against the financial issues caused by the pandemic.

At present, Northern League clubs in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham are only permitted to allowed 150 spectators through the gates for home fixtures.

And clubhouses are to remain closed for up to one hour before and one hour after a match has taken place.

Dent estimated that those restrictions could cost Shildon up to £25,000 in bar takings and around £30,000 in gate receipts.

And although he stressed that club is not in danger, he does believe that other clubs around the country could be sliding towards a major crisis.

He told The Echo: “As a club we have worked really hard and we took guidance from the government and from the Football Association to put our Covid policy in place.

“That cost us money and we have also had to deal with the restrictions put in place by the national FA and the local FA.

“That restricts our crowds to 150, but our bar and other secondary income is effectively closed on matchday and these factors hurt us as a football club.

“We have structured the football club quite comprehensively with a business plan in place and a cash flow forecast in place.

“Bit by bit, those revenue streams have been taken away – and we don’t have the fallback position of the National League clubs getting help from the government.

“Against Stockton last season we had 750 in, at the weekend, in the same game, we had 150. That represents a loss of over £3,000 in gate receipts alone.

“The gates are a big factor, so is the bar, and that used to contribute £25,000 a year to the football club, now it’s nothing.

“Gate receipts account to around £30,000 per season and now it’s next to nothing.

“It could cause a slow death for some clubs that are in a similar situation.”

Northern Premier League trio South Shields, FC United of Manchester and Scarborough Athletic have recently joined forces to urged the government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to raise the attendances permitted at step three of the non-league system.

All three clubs averaged over 1,000 for league games last season but with restrictions currently in place, Scarborough and FC United are now limited to crowds of 600 and South Shields are permitted to just 300.

A number of Northern League clubs – including Shildon – have experienced similar levels of a reduction in their attendances and Dent believes that it is time that they joined forces to call on the authorities to review the restrictions.

“We are slipping through the cracks,” he explained.

“It’s hurting us, it’s hurting Stockton and it’s hurting Consett, there are others too.”