The Football Conference have given Blue Square Premier, North and South clubs a helping hand with earlier-than-due money to ease them through the current fixture-barren spell.

All last weekend's fixtures were postponed and teams such as Altrincham and Wrexham have not played in the league since December 5.

Many of the Conference’s 68 member clubs are feeling the pinch with cashflow difficulties.

Oxford United have played just one league game since December 5, with three league and cup matches postponed since then because of frozen pitches.

Conference chairman 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.”

Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas said: “We’re lucky in regard to the cashflow situation compared to many other businesses in that we know the income will come eventually, when the matches are played, and we have to think positively.”

The Conference also say there is no need to panic about a fixture backlog.

They would find it very hard to extend the season because the date for the Blue Square Premier play-off final at Wembley has already been set – Sunday, May 16 – and the play-off semi-final dates are planned for April 29/30 and May 3/4, immediately after the final weekend of the season on April 24/25.

“There is no panic among Conference officials at this time,” they stated.

“There is still plenty of spare capacity in the fixture list for rearrangements 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.”