Former Fleetwood Town skipper makes a plea on behalf of non-league clubs

Now back in the EFL in his second season with Salford City, the veteran central defender spent most of his 15 years at Fleetwood climbing through the ranks of non-league.

The non-league world remains close to the heart of the 35-year-old Monserrat international, who said: “Our non-league clubs are going to need help. I’m not sure how, but they will.

“Whether it’s the FA, PFA or the bigger clubs within the area that step in and offer help financially.”

The EFL has promised a £50m short-term relief package to help its clubs tackle cashflow problems, while the Premier League will also advance £125m to EFL and National League sides.

It had been estimated that the 47 League One and League Two clubs would suffer a combined loss of more than £50m if the season hadn’t returned by the summer, while the National League would be £20m out of pocket.

With these clubs heavily reliant on matchday revenue and gate receipts, news that the season would be ‘suspended indefinitely’ for the National League and scrapped entirely for all levels below was a real head-in-hands moment.

Along with that loss of fixtures, the income generated through functions, conferences and events came to an abrupt halt due to the Government’s social distancing and stay-at-home guidelines.

The enormous financial strain of keeping the non-league system alive currently seems unbearable.

Local football clubs are often a community asset that provide opportunity, safety and a sense of unity to the surrounding neighbourhood.

As Covid-19 continues to spread, so do the financial concerns for teams at the base of the EFL pyramid and below.

A man who knows all about the financial plight of football’s lower reaches is Pond, who rose to League One via six promotions with the Cod Army.

Pond’s appreciation for non-league football is deep-rooted and he sees only one solution.

He said: “If they get through this period, I think a percentage of all future matchday revenue from Premier League or Championship clubs should be pumped into non-league to help it get back onto its feet.”

Thinking about life without an English non-league system is painful for Pond, who added: “I am hugely thankful for it. I have come from almost the very bottom tier of English football, and for me personally, it’s given me the opportunity to progress.

“Jamie Vardy is obviously a more high-profile player to come through the system, along with players like Andre Gray and Nick Pope.

“These are England internationals and that’s just to name a few.

“There are many hidden gems in our non-league.

“The system is also important for the development of academy players that go out on loan to gain experience.

“Without non-league, the game just wouldn’t be the same.”