DORKING Wanderers say that the voting process which saw Step 2 declared null and void was “unlawful”, according to legal advice they have received.

York City’s season in the National League North alongside the National League South was declared null and void last week after a majority of Step 2 clubs voted to end the season amid a lack of grant funding.

A number of clubs are battling that verdict, including York and Dorking, the latter of whom have taken legal action.

Owner and manager Marc White said: “We deployed a top QC to look at it.

“We have made representation to the National League and FA as to why we believe that a significant amount of the process was unlawful.

“We need to be fair to the National League to give them time to respond.

“But, this is the opinion of our QC, (that) Resolution 1 was unlawful in that they were written Resolutions which meant that voting couldn’t be through the constitutional layout, it had to be a vote per team.

“But secondly, in the unlikely event that Resolution 1 was correct, the advice we’ve been given is that the null and voiding of the divisions could only be done by the means of a Special Resolution itself as it’s an adjustment and change to the rules of the league.

“Therefore, that would need to be laid out as a Special Resolution with a 75 per cent majority, but it was put as an ordinary Resolution at 50 per cent (majority).

“56 per cent (of Step 2 clubs) voted for the divisions to finish and the advice we’ve got that is that it’s a rule change, denoted by the fact that it requires FA approval, and as such, that requires a Special Resolution as per the rules of the National League.

“That is flawed as well, on the advice we’ve been given.

“Thirdly, is that, as per the articles of the National League, the null and void (decision) cannot be declared unless it is ratified (by the FA).

“The league should still be playing and it should not be stopped until it (the decision) has been ratified.

“What the group of clubs (that wish to continue) are asking for is the league to be restarted with immediate effect today.”