A SITUATION WE CAN'T CONTROL

TIME TO CALL IT A DAY? The Northern Premier League board have recommended that the 2020-21 season ceases immediately

- MARK HARRIS

The trouble with having no football is that some people have too much time on their hands. They fire off indignant messages on social media, blaming anyone and everyone for doing anything with which they disagree. Football administrators are an easy target, often rightly so, but not always.

“You don’t know what you’re doing” is an accusation repeatedly thrown at league boards, including the NPL. Usually, they come from people with little or no understanding of the processes involved in major decisions. Sometimes, however, they come from those who should know better.

Here are some painful realities. Leagues’ primary objective is to fulfill their full season’s fixtures. It’s what we do. Until the third lockdown was introduced, there was still a possibility – however remote – that we might be able to do so. But when 83% of the clubs across Steps 3 and 4 found themselves in Tier 4 after Christmas, those chances were severely undermined. Some might claim anyone could see that happening; football administrators have to deal in facts.

Driven by the arrival of the new variant, ‘non-elite’ football (Steps 3-6) cannot be played until the lockdown is lifted. So it’s unlikely that the leagues could resume competitive fixtures until early March. We’d then need at least 14 days grace to enable players to regain full fitness.