Hakan Hayrettin was glad to see Maidstone’s owners break with “the same old English way” and challenge the National League over their bail-out allocation.

United were the first club to speak out against the distribution of a £10 million National Lottery grant and, with others following, the league finally agreed to an independent review.

The report is still to be made public but an open letter written by former FA chief David Bernstein, who headed the review, was heavily critical of the board.

Lottery funding ended in December and it has yet to be announced how clubs will be funded in the new year as matches continue to be played behind closed doors.

The whole situation has left a bad taste with Stones boss Hayrettin, who admires owners Terry Casey and Oliver Ash for taking a stand.

“I still think our football club were well within their rights to do what they did,” said Hayrettin.

“If money is supposed to be distributed to compensate for lost gate revenue, then our club has had a very raw deal.

“We need answers and to know the reasons why.

“I know we’ve ruffled a few feathers but if you don’t stick up for what you believe in, then what’s the point?

“It’s the same old English way, to keep quiet and brush it under the carpet, but why should we?

"We can’t be conservative all the time. The club was well within its rights to do what it did.”

Many clubs benefited significantly from the National League’s distribution model, receiving far more than they would have taken through the gate.

But well-supported clubs, including the Stones, were left with big shortfalls, and there were calls for chairman Brian Barwick to resign.

Maidstone’s determination to speak out may not have gone down well with everyone but Hayrettin has detected no animosity.

“I haven’t come across anything like that,” said Hayrettin. “Maybe the owners and the chief exec have, but I only speak to other managers.

“When our club spoke out, it gathered momentum and therefore it was a just cause.

“I haven’t found any sort of resentment towards me personally. Is there resentment from the league or other clubs? I don’t know.

“I use Dagenham as an example. They get half the crowd we get in the league above.

“When you look at the money they got (£252,000 over three months) and the money we got (£108,000), how can it be justified?

“More than double, on the crowds they get, it’s absolutely wrong.

“If they’re being compensated for other areas, you could say we’ve lost money in pitch hire and bar hire, but we don’t get compensated for that. It’s no different.

“It’s like we’re being penalised for being a well-run club.”

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