Owner David Haythornthwaite reveals: AFC Fylde will vote to end the season now

Clubs in the National League, National League North and South have been given until May 7 to submit their vote.

Should the League’s resolution pass, a second vote would then take place to determine the outcomes of the season.

The Coasters currently sit inside the National League relegation zone, four points adrift of safety.

Fylde chairman David Haythornthwaite, who has previously suggested the season should be declared null and void with no promotion or relegation, has confirmed the club’s intention to vote in favour of the League’s resolution.

He told The Gazette: “It’s very controversial because the National League are asking for us to vote on whether the season should end now.

“If the clubs vote for the season to end, the National League will then come up with a number of options for clubs to vote on regarding how the season should finish – should it be declared null and void, should it be decided by points-per-game, should there be no relegation ... etc.

“Obviously that’s going to be the more controversial vote but at the moment we’re only voting on whether or not we want the season to finish.

“For many weeks now I’ve campaigned for the season to end simply because of the uncertainty many clubs, ours included, find themselves in.

“All votes have to be in by May 7, so they’ve given an extremely long deadline – I’m not exactly sure why but they have.

“I think they’re attempting to align with other decisions made in other divisions, which might help them.

“We haven’t sent in our vote yet but we will be voting for the season to end.”

There have been concerns raised that clubs will vote with the own self-interest at heart

Haythornthwaite insists that isn’t the case at Fylde, adding: “In many ways, we should be voting to keep playing because we’ve got nine games left and we feel we can still get out of trouble.

“But I think in this case you have to set aside personal circumstances and vote for what is good for the entire league.

“There’s a lot of emails flying around between the club chairmen and a lot of letters as you can imagine.

“You get some very entrenched views and there are clubs that want to keep on playing, which I understand because they might be in a promotion position.

“Take Barrow, for example – they’re top of the league and they want to keep playing, which is understandable.

“But as one witty chairman put it, if we’re not careful we won’t have a league to be promoted from, which were very apt words.”

Fylde are due to release a statement on this issue to outline why they will vote in favour of the League’s proposal.