There is uncertainty around Barrow AFC’s immediate future, after the sudden departure of owner Paul Casson last week, but that’s nothing compared to Ebbsfleet United’s off-the-field issues.

At least you can say the Casson family left Holker Street with the Bluebirds in a fairly stable situation, with enough money in the bank to last several months, giving interim chairman Paul Hornby some leeway in finding new investors.

However, the financial situation at Stonebridge Road is more precarious, with members of manager Daryl McMahon’s backroom staff, including assistant Steve Gritt, being laid off to balance the sheets.

Ebbsfleet will be offloading some of their players in the coming months as well, with Kuwaiti owner Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi admitting the club are paying the price for overspending.

Dr Al-Humaidi told Kent Online: “Comparing our budget to most of the teams at our level, ours is very excessive and unsustainable. The football club is dependent on external sources of cashflow and this is something bad for the club.

“We’re not a Premier League or Championship club, we’re a National League side and this was a mistake from the beginning, spending money insensibly everywhere.

“What prompted this financial restructure was our position two-and-a-half months into the league, spending way more than other clubs.”

As a result, Ebbsfleet are now having to scale back just six months after reaching the semi-finals of the National League play-offs, where they were beaten by Tranmere.

This campaign has proven to be much more of a struggle and they head into tomorrow’s clash with the Bluebirds 16th in the table, having only won once in their last 11 games.

They were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Kent rivals Maidstone United on Tuesday, with Kenny Clark’s opener for the Fleet being cancelled out by Will de Havilland’s 75th-minute equaliser.