ST ALBANS City have received a boost with the news that the Football Conference is releasing money from central funds to help clubs during this period of inactivity. City have suffered of late only playing one home fixture in the last five weeks and with

ST ALBANS City have received a boost with the news that the Football Conference is releasing money from central funds to help clubs during this period of inactivity.

City have suffered of late only playing one home fixture in the last five weeks and with the story similar throughout the Blue Square Premier, North and South divisions the league's governing body has stepped in in an attempt to help clubs' cashflow.

Chairman of the Football Conference, Brian Lee, said: "It might be a small gesture but we have to do all we can during this spell of bad weather to ease the burden.

"Any extra income from any source at this time can only be of benefit and while the clubs would have been getting another share from central funding shortly, it was deemed a sensible action for the board to take by releasing that element of funding now."

City's club secretary, Steve Eames, said: "It's a timely boost given the current economic climate and also the climate outside.

"I think it's a good idea because we're all struggling and anything that helps clubs out can only be a positive thing."

The statement from the Football Conference announcing the news also stated that they had no reason to worry about the fixtures that are piling up.

The statement read: "On the issue of fixtures there is no panic amongst Conference officials at this time, as there is still plenty of spare capacity in the fixture list for re-arrangements to be made for the fixtures which have been lost so far and those which it is known will be lost over the next seven days.