Torquay United and Yeovil Town are continuing to wait to see if a rescue package has been agreed with the UK government and the FA that would enable the 2020-21 National League season to go ahead without fans.
The 2020-21 National League campaign is due to get underway on October 3, with the National League North and South set to start on October 5 & 6 respectively. However, without funding that would compensate member clubs for the loss of gate receipts from playing behind closed doors the whole National League structure could be thrown into dissaray.
Steps 1 and 2 of the non-league football pyramid - which covers the National League and National Leagues North and South - had been classified as 'elite' in accordance with the government's guidance on fans returning to stadiums amid the coronavirus pandemic. Having entered the framework, the leagues are now unable to return to matches until March 2021 at the earliest - following the government's U-turn on allowing fans to return to stadiums on October 1.
Some clubs are in favour of returning behind closed doors, an idea which Torquay United manager Gary Johnson has lent his support to, but others only wish to carry on if financial support is forthcoming.
The fear also remains that the 2020-21 campaign could get cut short in the event of a second wave of the coronavirus hits the country, with many areas of the country have returned to the lockdown restrictions that were originally imposed last March.
A number of clubs have the option of live streaming matches through their official websites, but whether the revenue raised would be able to compensate for the loss of paying spectators remains to be seen.
