ELEVEN clubs from Steps 1 and 2 have signed a letter urging the National League to reconsider their funding distribution model.

York City are not among the signatories, who comprise Chester, Chesterfield, Dulwich Hamlet, AFC Fylde, Hereford, Kidderminster Harriers, Maidstone United, Notts County, AFC Telford United, Wrexham and Yeovil Town.

Last week, clubs were given news of a £10million grant to compensate for the loss of ticket sales, but there has been a backlash over the proposed distribution of the funds.

City are set to receive £36,000 per month, while most top-tier sides could collect £84,000, despite seeing lower average gates last term. York have announced that they will seek clarification regarding the league’s approach to funding.

National League clubs received their first month’s grant on Friday.

The letter reads: “We fail to see why the league thought it could do better than follow the Government guidelines to concentrate on ‘lost gate receipts’ and why it adopted a central-funding type ration of 60-20-20, giving the top-division clubs three times as much as lower-division clubs regardless of their gate receipt losses.

“When Government funding was first announced, it encouraged some clubs to agree to start the season without fans present. Had they known they would effectively be operating, somewhat under economic duress, in an unsustainable manner, they may well not have wished to start the season and trigger onerous contractual commitments.

“We urge the National League board, or any independent panel otherwise instructed, to base their evaluation and decisions on the objective for the funding as per the DCMS press release: ‘Funding will be distributed to help cover lost gate revenue from the delay to fans being permitted to return’.”

The board are set to discuss the letter on November 5.