ALDERSHOT chairman Shahid Azeem has slammed the government for “moving the goalposts” on non-league football funding, but says a decision from cash-starved clubs on the National League season should be imminent.

The 66 clubs from the National League, National League North and National League South have been asked by the league to decide the outcome of the season, after it was revealed that £11 million due to be offered as part of the government’s Sports Winter Survival Package would be in the form of costly loans, rather than grants.

Clubs have about a month to consider their position and vote. But given the severity of the situation, with the National League North and South in the midst of a two-week suspension, Azeem expects a swift outcome.

“Legally you have to give 28 days’ notice but I would suspect we would know in the next 10 days,” he said today.

“Some of the votes will have come in already, some will be coming in — once you get a certain percentage you start to know where you sit.

“My personal opinion is that we should know in the next 10 days.

“From my point of view, we have to put it out to all the member clubs. We started the season on the back of the guarantees from the government saying that we will get grant money up to December and support will continue if crowds aren’t allowed back in up to March.

“Sadly, three months into it the DCMS has moved the goalposts and this is not what we as a National League started the season on.

“The fact was we were going to get grants and support would continue in case crowds weren’t allowed back. That has fundamentally changed, so we have to put it out to the members.

“Each club’s business model is completely different. It is really up them to decide whether they want to carry on.”

Azeem personally would like the season to carry on, though the Shots’ final decision will be after a democratic vote by the board.

The DCMS maintains that it never promised future funding in the form of grants, but Azeem feels let down by the government.

“Yes, I do feel let down,” he said. “Ultimately, for Aldershot Football Club, we have to find anywhere between £250,000 and £300,000 to the end of June and that is no small feat. How are we going to deal with that?

“It will come down to, are the directors prepared to put hands in their pockets or are we prepared to take the loans from a third party — I’m not sure what the conditions of the loan are.

“But the most important thing is, we only started the season on the back of what the government promised, which was grants.

“When you are told you are going to get grants and the DCMS are asked what is going to happen in January if fans are not allowed in, the FA and the National League were told that the support would be continued.

“This didn’t say grants, but equally they didn’t say loans. If you are in a meeting talking about grants, why would you think loans would be now on the table? Why give us grants in the first place?”