We have thrown a considerable amount of money this season to gain promotion. Our invoice is on its way to The FA, they can afford to pay it, insists Beckenham Town chairman Paul Faires

BECKENHAM TOWN chairman Paul Faires says he will invoice The Football Association to pay the clubs wage bill after being told that their season has been expunged in the wake of the Coronavirus crisis.

The Eden Park Avenue club were sitting at the top of the Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division table and fighting it out with Corinthian, Chatham Town, Sheppey United and Tunbridge Wells in an exciting title-race in the ninth-tier of English football.

The champions would have celebrated promotion into the Isthmian League, while the runners-up were likely to win a play-off against a side that finished at the foot of the table in a league above, such as the strength of those top-five clubs in the SCEFL Premier Division.

However, The Football Association confirmed today that the 2019-20 football season was declared null and void and all results will be expunged and no promotion or relegation of clubs below National League South.

Beckenham Town, whose management team includes Jason Huntley, Billy Walton, Phil Wilson and Jason Clews, would have been playing Isthmian League football for the first time in their history next season had they held their nerve in the title-race and to take promotion away from a club that have spent a large majority of the season sitting at the top of their league is a bitter pill to swallow.

“Words cannot describe how I feel,” said an angry Faires.

“For me, it has nothing to do with us being top. If any of the other clubs were, I would feel the same way.”

When asked if Beckenham Town were in favour of the decision from The Football Association, Faires response was very clear indeed

“Totally not! It’s a crazy decision made by a bunch of pen pushers and bean counters that have no idea what it’s like to run a club at this level!

“It was a gutless decision from The FA and the easy way out!”

When asked about the clubs current financial situation, Faires revealed: “Our club is lucky, we are debt-free. However, Beckenham Town like others have thrown a considerable amount of money this season to gain promotion.  Our invoice is on its way to The FA, they can afford to pay it!”

No sports club in the country is generating any income due to the measures imposed by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and it’s not only football that is being hit hard in the pocket.

“My main business is perimeter advertising for Rugby League, Rugby Union and Cricket and there are no matches now on SKY and we estimate to take a hit of around £1.5 million of lost revenue this year,” revealed Faires.

“Basically, the business run by my wife is currently frozen.  We are lucky that we’re also major shareholders in a couple of radio stations that will hopefully keep some revenue coming in as both Rugby and County Cricket are going to be in a terrible state.”

Visit Beckenham Town’s website: www.beckenhamtownfc.com