I've had it with the FA, the DCMS, and anyone else who's responsible for deciding which fans can and can't go to games.

A rant/thread

As it stands, National League and N/S can't have fans. Step 3 clubs can have 600, step 4 is 400, step 5 is 300 and so on. Seems fair enough, right?

Wrong.

It works for the clubs who can have fans, but there are so many holes and inconsistencies. Let's take a look.

I'm lucky enough that my local non league team play in the Southern League div 1 South so can go and watch them play, but not this Saturday

This Saturday is the FA Cup 2nd qualifying round. We're away to Bath City. Great. A great away tie to a big team with a beautiful ground

The game is behind closed doors because Bath play in the NL South. They're in an "elite" league and it's deemed too dangerous for spectators to be allowed in.

If Bath played in exactly the same ground and got the same crowd numbers but in the Southern League, then no problem.

Steps 3 and 4 of non-league have plenty of clubs who are ex National League N/S and have grounds that have facilities suitable for leagues above.

Ones that spring to mind for me are Salisbury, Farnborough, Dorchester, Lewes, Leatherhead & Carshalton. Plenty of others too

If these clubs playing in the leagues below in grounds with very similar facilities to those in the National League and N/S are having no problem letting spectators in, then why shouldn't steps 1 and 2 clubs be allowed them?

The risk gets no higher at all.

Let's play a game.

One of these grounds is deemed safe to accommodate 600 fans, three others are deemed unsafe to do so. Can you guess which one can host fans?

If Farnborough, who play in the Southern Premier can accommodate 600 fans whilst following all protocol, and playing at a National League quality stadium, then why can't National League clubs?

It makes no sense.

Also this weekend, where a step 3 or below club is hosting a step 2 club, only step 3 or below fans are allowed.

Apparently covid is clever enough to know who is supporting what team

Ridiculous.

See this statement from @CorinthianCas

http://www.corinthian-casuals.com/news/corinthian-casuals-vs-dulwich-hamlet-statement

It can't be about distance travelling or crowd numbers either.

If that is the case, then have a crowd cap, and how come then hypothetically 600 Hayes & Yeading fans can go all the way down to Truro and it be okay, but 600 fans can't go to watch Sutton play Bromley?

Sutton Common Rovers and Erith and Belvedere both ground share with clubs in the National League/NLS (Sutton United & Welling United).

SCR and Erith can have fans, but SU and Welling can't despite playing in 𝙚𝙭𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.

I don't get it.

I understand the "elite" status and accept that it's necessary for steps 1 & 2 to have them to secure government funding etc, but to me this "elite" status means nothing

It means nothing to anyone. It's not a physical thing. It probably only exists in a PDF on someone's computer

To me, this shows that the FA and DCMS and whoever else, really really do undervalue the importance of non league clubs to their communities and fanbases.

I understand you have to draw the line somewhere, but to me it just doesn't make sense to draw it there.

Without the "elite" tag, nothing changes. The clubs are the same, the people are the same, the fans and support numbers are the same, the stadiums are the same.

So why should some fancy tag stop people from going to support their local club?

End of thread/rant, I think.

Just let people go watch their team.

@NonLeagueCrowd @Ollie_Bayliss @DorkingWDRS