Read what Ben Clasper had to say in his programme notes ahead of our National League South clash with Taunton Town

Easter went a long way to resolving matters at the top of the table in our league and the league above as Ebbsfleet United were crowned worthy champions of the South while Wrexham’s defeat of Notts County leaves them needing only two wins from their remaining four games to claim the National League title.

If you want proof that the financial model of non-league football has become indistinguishable from the league you need look no further than those three clubs. Firstly, they are now foreign-owned with the Kuwaitis in Kent, the Americans in Wales and the oldest professional football club in the world now in Danish hands. Personally, I think we should be flattered that so many people from so many countries are attracted to owning clubs in our country, it is the conduct of individuals running the clubs, not where they are from that should matter to fans and those three clubs have clearly thrived under these owners.

What does worry me though is the level of investment it has brought and what that does to the integrity of a competition where sustainability tries to compete with ‘money no object’. Up to the end of last season those three clubs alone had accumulated £45 million of losses including losing over £7 million between them last season alone. With competition hotting up even more this season I would not be surprised to see combined losses of over £10 million this season in their pursuit of promotion this time around.

Let’s just take a breath there. This is non-league football and whilst those sorts of numbers may be the highest, that model is becoming the norm. Worryingly, a quick look at the bottom of league two tells you the situation is only going to get worse with the calibre and history of clubs facing the drop into the non-league game in May. It is unrecognisable from the league we joined five years ago.

I read a lot about what an amazing showcase the Wrexham and Notts County match was for non-league football but the fact that it was settled by a drafted in premier league goalkeeper making a last-minute penalty save summed it up for me. A great advert for football? Definitely. Showcase for non-league football? Less so. I didn’t recognise much of what I think we should showcase about non-league football in that game but the National League continues to gravitate towards the tiny minority of ex-league clubs and away from the vast majority of non-league clubs in their care and so we become increasingly dependent on the individuals at the larger clubs checking their own power rather than those that govern us acting for all.

Chief executives like Jason Turner at Notts County and Damian Irvine at Ebbsfleet understand that issue, unique in my opinion in engaging, respecting and empathising with the wide range of views and needs across the 72 clubs. During the pandemic-disrupted seasons both Jason and Damian showed it was possible to fight for what is best for your club without trampling over other clubs around you. It’s attitudes like that which are essential if we are to successfully navigate the point at which non-league meets league football.

It was devastating to hear that Jason had died last week and my heart goes out to the whole club, sadly the loss of our own Duncan Chapman means we know how long and deeply that loss is felt when it is someone who runs through the fabric of the club. I hope they can find the motivation to keep going and keep pushing for promotion. If they miss out on the top spot they will find themselves competing in the play-offs with teams who are 30 points behind them which is staggering and will no doubt be used as a lever to push for another promotion spot. Jason is a huge loss to the club, the league and the game.

We will miss Ebbsfleet, they have been a pleasure to play, visit and host and other clubs could learn a thing or two from the grace with which they accepted relegation to this level on a points per game basis by 0.004 of a point when the season was curtailed by the pandemic. Hopefully Damian’s voice will be heard at National League level as it always was in the South where our prospects of remaining look slightly brighter after picking up 4 points over Easter including the crucial win against Cheshunt. We play Taunton today who have already capitalised on their games in hand to climb clear of trouble so it’s up to the players to prove they have what it takes to follow them out of trouble and earn more of your fantastic support.