"There is real concern" - former Chesterfield striker Kevin Davies has his say as National League season hangs in balance

The government’s decision to call off plans for supporters to return to stadiums from October 1 has caused huge frustration and concern for non-league clubs as they rely so heavily on matchday income to pay the bills.

The National League board is meeting this afternoon to decide what to do with the new season which us due to start a week on Saturday.

A letter has been sent to the National League on behalf of National League North clubs stating 81 per cent of its teams are against starting the season without fans unless they receive financial assistance.

Davies, 43, said asking fans to pay to watch matches online is one option which has some backing.

“The National League and the National League North and South need to make a decision very quickly,” he told BBC Breakfast.

“Speaking to a few of the chairman over the last two or three weeks and some of the players, they are geared up for the live streaming which can then provide that vital income for them to survive.

“They clearly need to be playing football and the National League particularly, and the other governing bodies, need to come together and listen to those chairmen and owners and make a decision quickly so they can allow their team to start playing and start generating some income.”

Davies, who is now a football agent, says there is “real concern” from players about the situation and he believes there is a potential for big job losses.

He added: “Even the EFL teams are talking about £200m losses if the season carries on without any fans so all the way down to step one, step two, step three and beyond, there is real concern if there is no football to be played.

“Particularly at National League level there is real concern how they are going to generate any income because they have got squads that have been put together which are costing them anywhere between £200,000-£300,000 to £2m so if there is no money coming in, and if there are stipulations in contracts (to make them) null and void, there could potentially be players, coaches, managers and staff without a job in the near future so it is concerning.”