‘Why are we playing at any level at present?’

The chairman of a club that has only played four league games so far in 2020/21 insists he wants the season to be completed - even in a truncated form.

Bury Town are considered to be step 4 promotion contenders from the Isthmian League North. But, like divisional rivals Cambridge City and Southern League outfit Moneyfields, they still have 34 out of their 38 league fixtures to play.

Moneyfields chairman Pete Seiden told The News yesterday he would be in favour of scrapping the season now.

But Bury chief Russell Ward is in favour of teams playing each other just once for a half-season, with no promotion or relegation, when football at their level is allowed to return.

‘I have no idea what is going to happen, to be honest,’ said Ward.

‘I hope that they don’t just end up cancelling the current season.

‘I guess you could say there is a danger of this, but that wouldn’t be good news with regards the amount of season tickets we have sold for the season.

‘As no club has played each other twice yet, I think that fixtures could be rearranged so as everyone plays each other once.

‘That would at least get the season played out, though in that case almost certainly with no promotion or relegation at the end of it.

‘Financially, that would soften the blow for clubs.

‘As a club we would obviously love the chance to achieve promotion, but it’s not the be all and end all.

‘It won’t be a big deal if there is no promotion or relegation, and at least a shorter season wouldn’t then be spilling over into next season, and so start affecting that.

‘We have been dealt the cards that we have been dealt, and we have to do the best that we can.

‘Obviously there would be no point in playing matches without fans.

‘Steps 3 and 4 have had it particularly hard, playing across a national level, and in a way I can see why the leagues lower down, being more localised, have been able to start playing again.

‘Just because a league based, say in Kent, has had to stop with the county being in tier 4, doesn’t mean to say that a league in Suffolk has to follow suit.

“We need to get through to January and then reassess it.

“But what I would say is that there has not been great leadership from the FA, to be honest.’

While many leagues are pressing the pause button, Fareham Town have to trek to west Devon this Sunday, two days after Christmas, to play an FA Vase tie at Plymouth Parkway.

‘It’s really hard to understand why, with so many leagues suspended, the FA have still insisted on going ahead with their own competitions,’ Ward remarked.

‘The FA seems hell-bent on completing their competitions.

‘Instead, I think you have to question why we are playing football at all, at any level?

‘Everyone should stop and go into a proper lockdown.’

- SIMON CARTER