‘Impossible to predict a restart date’ - Jack

Chichester City and Bognor Regis are holding out hopes of a January restart for Isthmian League fixtures – but the picture remains very unclear, writes STEVE BONE.

The Isthmian - along with the Southern League - have yet to resume games following the end of the second national lockdown earlier this month.

The Southern League said on Thursday that a formal restart date ‘is unlikely to be before the 9th January 2021 and the clubs will be given at least 10 days’ notice of the recommencement of the 2020/21 season allowing them preparation time to stage league matches.’

The same applies to the Isthmian League.

Bognor manager Jack Pearce, below, who is involved at FA level in some of the committees working to get football operating something like normally and get league seasons finished, said it was a very difficult and unpredictable situation.

‘It’s impossible to predict when the league will restart,’ he remarked

‘If the leagues and clubs felt last week they couldn’t restart, then the decision to put London, Essex and part of Hertfordshire into tier three will certainly not have helped.

‘I’m holding out for a January restart, though. That’s what we have to hope will be possible.”

If league games can begin again in January, officials expect to get the full season finished.

They have already said they can play to the end of May and into June – though even that will call for quite a hectic schedule of games.

In the Isthmian Premier teams have played between five and ten games – with each club needing to get through 42 in total.

In the south east division, sides have played between five and nine – but they have only a 36-game programme to complete.

Lewes manager Hugo Langton says the Isthmian League’s restart has to be fair for all – and clubs ‘screaming’ for it to happen must remember that.

Langton said: ‘I knew from the off this season that it was only a matter of time until it got halted. It was inevitable.

‘We all want to play but trying to keep cases of the virus down is more important.

‘I won’t put any pressure on the league to start – it’s not about me nor about any one person or club.’

‘I see some clubs screaming that they want to restart and want to play, but they’re only thinking of themselves.

‘We all have to look at the bigger picture.’

While the Isthmian and Southern Leagues remain paused, the third Trident League member - the Northern Premier League - are restarting fixtures this weekend.

Even in tier 3 regions, clubs can admit home fans only - a maximum of 300 at step 3 (Southern League Premier), 200 at step 4 (SL Division 1 South) and 150 at steps 5 (Wessex Premier) and 6 (Wessex Division 1).