Football bodies will have to get us out of this mess: Nixon
■ Dundela boss demands an end to uncertainty over league season and Irish Cup
IRISH League legend and Dundela manager Colin Nixon has pleaded with the football authorities to provide some clarity for Championship clubs on whether league and Irish Cup action will start in January.
While t he Danske Bank Premier ship kicked off in mid-october, the 12 NIFL Championship outfits have been left out in the cold without elite status. Their league campaign is scheduled to begin on January 2, just one week before the Irish
Cup ‘Round of 32’, with only the 12 top flight sides in the tournament currently classified as elite.
The Irish FA are still planning to start this season’s Irish Cup on January 9 and have asked the NI Executive to grant the competition elite status, allowing all clubs to complete their Cup fixtures.
No sporting events, even at elite level, are permitted from December 26 to January 1 and only elite sport will be allowed to return on January 2, without spectators.
Championship clubs, however, feel they should have been given elite status months ago and if that had happened, their league campaigns would now be well under way.
It has been difficult for clubs to even train during strict Covid-19 restrictions and concerns have been raised about players’ mental health.
Dundela have an Irish Cup clash at Glentoran on January 9 without having played a competitive fixture since October.
Glentoran’s record appearance holder Nixon was looking forward to a new chapter in his life and career when he was appointed Duns manager in July but five months on, he still has no idea what he is planning for.
“It’s been an absolute disaster, you don’t know where you are from one day to the next,” said the former Glentoran captain.
“Why are we in this mess and what are the football authorities doing? The Irish FA want to get their Cup up and running as it’s their flagship competition but I’m asking where has been the duty of care to the teams in it, bar the Premiership clubs?
“We need some clarity.”
Dundela have managed to squeeze in friendly matches against East Belfast, Bloomfield and Carrick Rangers but they haven’t played a competitive fixture since a County Antrim Shield tie against Cliftonville on October 13.
An Irish Cup test at Mick McDermott’s Glentoran on January 9 is a daunting prospect for a side which is well short of match fitness.
“My players need to get going for their own mental well-being but in my view this has not been managed well,” added Nixon who played an all-time record 794 times for the Glens.
“We haven’t played a competitive game since Cliftonville in the County Antrim Shield back in October and we’ve got Glentoran coming up, how is that fair?
“Is the Irish Cup competition more important than the clubs taking part in it? You want clubs to be treated right and kept informed.
“We are keen to get going but there has to be some realism. None of this makes any sense to me. It is a mess.
“People are losing their lives and that’s the important thing but had the Irish FA made the
Championship l eague el i t e months ago we would not have this uncertainty and confusion.
“We have abided by the guidelines and we understand there are more important issues than us getting ready for a season but you always want direction, clarity and guidance.”
Clubs at all levels are also taking a huge financial hit and the outlook remains bleak for as long as supporters cannot attend matches.
“Championship clubs have been left in a perilous position,” said Nixon who bagged a huge 25 winner’s medals with Glentoran.
“There’s no money coming in, social clubs are shut and with no fans where will the money come from?
“I have massive respect for the players who have been working but what for, what direction can I give them?
“The league is supposed to start on January 2 but will it happen, followed by the Irish Cup? I can’t get my head around it.
“How can we be ready to play Glentoran who are well into their season? How can that be logical?
“I don’t understand it. I know there are more important battles going on than this one but what should I tell my players? I’m not asking them to train at Christmas. Where could we train anyway, even if we wanted to?
“You fear things could get worse in January but you never would have believed any of this. It’s turned everybody’s world upside down.
“On behalf of Dundela, I’d like to thank all the healthcare staff and we will continue to adhere to the guidelines but I have a duty of care to the players and I’m wondering as a football manager just what am I supposed to do?”
The Irish FA maintain they are awaiting further clarity from the Northern Ireland Executive, with whom they have been “liaising closely”.