Now We Can See The Light

Getting their house in order: Leagues at Steps 5 and 6 met on Friday afternoon to discuss plans for the 2020-21 season

- John Lyons and David Richardson

Step 5 and 6 Leagues have welcomed FA proposals for a return to football and can see some ‘light at the end of the tunnel’.

Since the 2019-20 campaign was cut short in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, leagues up and down the country have been in the dark over when football would be able to restart.

There are still no definitive dates, but the FA have put forward a number of possible scenarios. Hopes are high that September could be the starting point, possibly with 30 percent capacities.

At an online meeting of Step 5 and 6 leagues on Friday afternoon, it was made clear that the National League System (Steps 1 to 7) will only restart when the Department of Media, Culture & Sport (DCMS) give approval and subject to any conditions they make. In addition, games cannot restart at Steps 1 to 7 without spectators and all will restart on the same date.

In the unlikely situation that leagues are able to kick-off in August, a normal season would ensue. A September or October start would enable full league seasons to be played, though league and county cups would have to make way.