Wild calls for action from National League as wait goes on over the season
TOWN BOSS Pete Wild has called on the National League to take action over the fate of the season.
At the start of the month, National League clubs were given 28 days in which to vote on whether to cancel the season or carry on playing. Clubs have been offered long-term loans to allow football to continue, but many have said they would rather null and void the season rather than take on debt, having been given grants in order to start the season.
Speaking on Tuesday, Wild said: “The circus continues.
How we can be nine days after the stuff going out and still not have a resolution is absolutely ludicrous.
“It should all be done and dusted now in my opinion and we should know either way. Fair play to the Conference North teams for making a stand, it’s exactly what I’d do. Why would you play when you don’t know who’s going to carry on? I don’t get the logic.
“I think the National League have got to take the bull by the horns and they’ve got to deal with this situation straight away because it’s been shambolic how it’s been dealt with. It just continues to frustrate and the longer it goes on, the more ridiculous it gets.”
Wild says there has been “zero leadership” from the National League, who are set to introduce mandatory coronavirus testing for all 66 of its clubs.
Clubs will be required to issue lateral flow tests to players and staff twice a week from February 15.
Tests will be provided at no cost to clubs.
“It’s just going to create more chaos,” Wild said.
“There’s going to be more games off, I’ll be mesmerized if we finish on May 29, I’ll be absolutely gobsmacked because we’re going to now bring in mandatory testing, which means we’re going to have more positive cases, which means more games are going to be off.
“Some teams haven’t got a free Tuesday left until the end of the season, we’ve only got two, and we’re up to date with games.
“The circus will continue. Don’t get me wrong, this should have been going on from the start, and I welcome the fact that players are being tested for health and safety reasons.
“But the practicalities of it just lead to utter chaos.
“I’ve sat down with the physio this week about how we’re going to manage it, and practically it’s going to be a nightmare.”
I think the National League have got to take the bull by the horns and deal with this situation