I am writing this on Thursday and the earliest you will read this is Sunday, so apologies if by now it’s all out of date, but that’s the main crux of my argument anyway. Things are moving fast around the globe in this health crisis and football needs to react at the same speed.
Non-League football has been halted by the pandemic of Covid-19. The season’s been suspended but we need to be realistic and draw a line in the sand now.
Realistically, things on every level are going to get worse before they get better which means that, should all this pass in the blink of an eye, we would have lost at least six weeks of the season at the most critical time. I hear ‘pundits’ say football can simply start again in May or June now because the Euros have been postponed? Nice sentiment but in reality it’s a dream only.
By then most contracted players will be out of contract – most clubs run 40-week contracts – so who will they be committed to? If travel is back on the agenda, most will already have holidays booked in the very short close season window they have before pre-season begins. Remember, football probably isn’t their only job.
If the season restarts, we are already looking at players having to play three, maybe four, even five games per week. It’s not easy at the best of times to ask your employer for an early finish twice per week to get to your ‘footballing job’, but with a downturn in business why should football expect that business owner to suffer even further?
Noose
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 22, 2020-Ausgabe von The Non-League Football Paper.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der March 22, 2020-Ausgabe von The Non-League Football Paper.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
PILGRIMS' PERFECT DAY SEALED BY CAM
BOSTON United won their second penalty shoot-out in four days as they overhauled second-placed Scunthorpe United to earn their place in the National League North play-off final.
Spirit of Angelo's Iron keeps dream alive
ANGELO HARROP hailed calm heads as Braintree Town hauled themselves off the ropes after Chelmsford City's late comeback to land an extra-time knock-out and reach the Promotion Final.
UNITED BID IS SUNK BY WATERS' WINNER!
ASHTON UNITED'S lingering play-off hopes were finally extinguished at Hurst Cross as the visitors secured their own place with a deserved victory.
PREECE'S KEEPING IT REAL!
ANDY PREECE doesn't want his Chorley side to forget how good season has been to this point and urged them to use that belief at Brackley Town.
STONES STILL ROLLING ON!
Gist EORGE Elokobi insists his Maidstone United side are not in danger of succumbing to fatigue as they look to complete a marathon season on a high.
ACE JACK LEADS A HORNETS HURRAH
HORSHAM managed to muster the energy in their 60th game of the season to finally breast the tape and secure a topfive finish in what was already the finest season in the club's history.
RUSSELL ENDS ON A EURO MISSION
Italy adventure is fitting for Rooks boss
COMMUNITY WILL UNITE TO HELP HEED ON A LONG ROAD AHEAD
Local pride can heal the pain of play-off snub
EMOTION LIKE NEVER BEFORE
Critics gave us no chance, says Cousins
SAM'S IN THE STONES ZONE
UPBEAT music, positive messages only and even group prayers - Sam Cox says Wealdstone's survival story is something to be proud of.