Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter hits out at National League over unsure start

Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter has accused the National League board of acting with “incompetence” over plans not to start the season if crowds are not allowed in.

The National League, National League North and National League South are due to begin their seasons on October 3, which was set to coincide with the planned return of spectators, but that is now in doubt after the Government’s announcement on Tuesday that it could be six months before that is allowed.

The league’s board will meet on Thursday, where formal discussions over the future of the 2020/21 season will take place.

Hunter claims he found out about plans not to start the season via his manager who had been on a conference call with the league’s chief executive Michael Tattersall and has called for a discussion before any decision is made.

“First and foremost, the league needs to have a consultation with its owners and chairman,” he said on the club’s YouTube channel.

“I found out about the league’s decision, that if spectators weren’t allowed in the ground that the league wouldn’t start through a managers meeting which was conducted by the chief exec Michael Tattersall.

“It is hard for me to say what I feel because it is actually difficult to look at certain incompetence of the chief executive.

“You can’t make that decision as a league without talking to the owners and chairman. You don’t give that sort of information to managers. Managers don’t pay the staff, they don’t pay the players and they don’t pay themselves.

“The Government’s decision you have to respect, we need to keep everyone safe.

“Nobody needs leagues to be issuing ultimatums that they won’t play if crowds can’t come back. They can only come back if it is safe – otherwise it is a dereliction of duty.

“We need discussion at league level with owners and chairman, not nonsense and idle threats from leagues and it being told to the managers.

“A board is to represent the clubs and the chairman and owners are the ones who pick up the bill. It needs a full and frank discussion with everybody.

“My personal view is I would like to start the league on October 3, with or without a crowd. I would like an intelligent conversation, one hat doesn’t fit all.

“Let the owners and chairman have a voice and if the democratic voice is that we don’t start, then we don’t start.”

Hunter also took a swipe at Dagenham managing director Steve Thompson, who on Tuesday called for a £15-20million Government bail-out to help clubs survive.

“I can’t keep listening to people saying the Government have to bail us out,” he added.

“There is one London chairman who says the Government have to give us £15-20million to bail us out. You can’t do that and then pay a striker £2,500 a week and then think the Government is going to bail you out.

“That is just crazy. We all have to cut our cloth accordingly. You can’t spend huge on budgets and then complain you’ve got no money, you all know what you’re doing.”