Maidstone United have called for a vote of no confidence in National League chairman Brian Barwick and his board.

The Stones are unhappy about the way the grants were distributed at the start of the 2020/21 campaign and were prepared to play their kids after initially being told they had to continue playing even when those handouts ended.

All action in the National League South was eventually halted although some clubs have since been fined for refusing to play while they waited on an outcome.

Maidstone co-owner Oliver Ash - already a vocal critic of the National League board - and Dorking Wanderers chairman Marc White have contacted clubs in all three divisions of the National League to seek backing for an emergency general meeting.

Clubs have until Wednesday to declare their support for the EGM, at which a vote would then be taken on the resolution.

Their email to clubs said: “Football at our level is in a major crisis at present. Although the terrible Covid pandemic is at the origin of the problems, the management of the crisis by the National League Board has been inadequate from the beginning. It is now the subject of widespread anger and ridicule.

“Our National League clubs are professional businesses upon which thousands of staff and tens of thousands of supporters depend. We deserve better governance and we have to take action. Today it is very difficult to effect major changes due to the way the pyramid is structured and the way the Football Association and the National League work together.

“So, while it is not the perfect solution, we feel that calling an extraordinary general meeting of The Football Conference Limited to have a debate on the past year’s management of the NL board is a necessary first step along the road to major reform of the pyramid structure.

“We are therefore proposing to call an EGM in order to hold a vote of no confidence in the chairman and the board.”

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