"Madness" Boreham Wood react as Sport England withhold Winter Survival loan
10.03.2021
In a statement on the club’s website, Danny Hunter, chairman of National League side Boreham Wood, expressed frustration and confusion at the news that Sport England denied his club access to the Winter Survival package. The club, currently tenth in the National League top flight, voted to continue the season in a recent emergency funding referendum.
They now allege that they voted to continue the competition on the good faith assurance of government loans. According to the club, they suspect that league and Sport England officials offered Boreham erroneous assurances to coerce them into their voting position. In light of the funding rejection notice, Boreham’s Danny Hunter felt “misled.”
When Boreham voted to continue the league, they looked set to earn a playoff spot and a chance to achieve EFL football next year. Now, with only one win in seven, against ten man Altrincham, Boreham’s funding frustrations match those at pitch-level.
The club attached Sport England’s funding rejection letter to a website post which also included their chairman’s impassioned pleas. According to the rejection letter, “the club has demonstrated that it has sufficient finances to enable it to survive until March 2022.”
Boreham have already taken out multiple loans during the closed-door season, including two business interruption loans, Danny Hunter’s personal tax deferral, and even remortgaging his house. Hunter expressed resentment at the fact that “if I’d put my community football club in trouble [...] by not doing the right thing then the football club would apparently now be eligible for the Winter Survival loans.”
Recalling the financial chaos of the last few months, Hunter highlighted a principle that “as many of my staff as possible were paid 100% through this pandemic, though in truth the pressure has now had an adverse effect on my health.”
These statements contextualise claims from other clubs that Boreham received more than their dues from the season’s first three months of National Lottery funding. Although the club still have a chance to achieve a playoff place with the season’s remaining games, they may do so at a financial disadvantage if their rivals acquire the large, low-interest loans which Boreham themselves were denied.
In the balance sheets, and on the pitch for their game against Woking, Boreham Wood have it all to play for.
