Devastated: Eastbourne Borough's season is over - National League South is null and void

That's because National League North and South seasons have been declared null and void.

Ironically a majority of National South clubs - 12 to 9 - wanted to play on. But a majority of South and North division clubs combined wanted the season ended.

An earlier resolution to allow each division to make their own decision had been defeated.

The National League's premier division will continue, but the North and South divisions end here - wiith no promotion or relegation to or from the two divisions.

It does still need FA ratification but they are thought unlikely to change things.

The voting was reported like this:

Resolution 1 (to let clubs to vote on their own step) NL: 21 For / 0 Against; NLN: 16 For / 6 Against; NLS: 9 For / 12 Against

Resolution 2 (to end Step 1) NL: 7 For / 13 Against

Resolution 3 (to end Step 2) NLN: 15 For / 7 Against; NLS: 9 For / 12 Against

Eastbourne Borough issued a statement saying quite bluntly that they could not understand how the apparent wishes of the majority were not being allowed.

EBFC chairman David Blackmore said: "We have heard like you all have via social media that unfortunately our playing season in the National League South has been declared null and void with immediate effect.

"As a board of directors we are as disappointed with this as I’m sure you all are. We will take time to digest and try to understand how this can be correct when there is a majority vote across all divisions to continue, and a majority vote across our own division to continue.

"We will make a further statement in due course."

Other clubs who, like Borough, wanted to continue playing included Dorking Wanderers, who said: "At this stage we are in ongoing dialogue with our legal team and are taking high level legal advice to ascertain the validity of the resolution."

EBFC officials have spoken of being gutted at the sudden halt put to their season and of the whole situation being a farce.

It has come about because grants given to NL clubs by the government to cover the cost of playing behind closed doors in October, November, December were not continued into the new year as clubs had expected them to be. The government said the next round of funding would be in the form of loans only - and, in the face of widespread criticism, insisted it had never promised grants beyond the initial three-month period.

Eastbourne's view has been consistent throughout - though the club faced difficulties continuing without the prospect of more grant funding, it was a football club with a role to play in the community and wanted to keep on playing.

Adding to Borough's sense of hurt is the fact they were having such a good season - a run of four wins in five had put them in third place ahead of a weekend trip to St Albans that will not now take place. But who was where in the league was largely irrelevant ... and it certainly is now. You can't help feeling that football - and its club volunteers and fans - are the losers here.

The ultimate irony would come if Boris Johnson were to give a date next week for when fans could - again - return to grounds. Would National South and National North remain null and void? The next twist is impossible to forecast.