AFC Fylde see season scrapped and declared null and void

The outcome of the voting is that non-league football's elite division, the National League, will continue but the tier below it, NL North and NL South, will cease with immediate effect.

As part of the voting, a special resolution was passed allowing the NL North and South clubs to decide their own fate on a one-club-one-vote basis.

Clubs in Fylde's league, NL North, voted by 15 to seven to halt the season.

And although NL South clubs voted to play on (by 12-9), the overall majority of 24-19 means both competitions are scrapped.

National League clubs voted 13-7 to continue their season.

The vote had been called on February 1 with clubs given 28 days to cast their votes.

But with all but two National League clubs having voted, the league decided to announce the results early.

A league statement reads: "The Board will take the resolution outcome to The Football Association for ratification. This will include dialogue regarding promotion and relegation."

The result will be a hammer blow to AFC Fylde, who had been determined to play on in a bid to regain their National League status following relegation last year.

This is the second successive year that Fylde have seen their season halted early amid the pandemic.

Last year's vote to curtail the campaign resulted in a lengthy debate over how to resolve the season and Fylde were ultimately relegated on a points-per-game basis.

This year it was made clear from the outset that a vote to stop play would mean the season being declared null and void.

The vote followed a government announcement that any further funding to help clubs complete the season behind closed doors would take the form of loans. Club had received grant aid to cover the first three months of the season.

Many clubs had refused to play matches this month as they awaited the outcome of the vote.

Of 37 NL North fixtures scheduled over the past two week only four took place. Fylde featured in one of those at York City on Tuesday, winning 3-1 in their first match since January 9.

The season has been abandoned with Fylde in second place, five points behind leaders Gloucester City after playing three fewer matches.

This week's York match had been attended by Fylde manager Jim Bentley, his first game back in the role 11 weeks after heart surgery.

Speaking to The Gazette shortly before the results of the voting were announced, Bentley said: "We understand other clubs' concerns and they all have their own agendas. We are fortunate to have a wealthy owner who is running the club the right way and we are determined to carry on.

"We felt a little hard done by last year when we were relegated and we want the opportunity to bounce back.

"We had wanted to carry on last season and we want to carry on again this season, but if we can't we'll just have to take it on the chin."

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