NL pair call for 20/21 campaign to be halted

Two of Hawks’ National League counterparts are calling for the season to be brought to a temporary halt amid rising coronavirus cases across England.

Both Slough Town and Kettering Town, who play in the NL South and North divisions respectively, have asked the authorities to put the campaign on hold.

Slough believe that with cases in their town rising at an ‘alarming rate’, the right thing to do would be to pause the season.

A statement said: ‘Two weeks ago, we raised our concerns about player safety with The National League and the ensuing weeks with ever-increasing infection rates, hospitalisations and deaths have done nothing to reduce those fears.

‘Back in March there was no consideration of football continuing. September saw an improving position with lower infection rates and a more hopeful future.

‘Now, however, cases in Slough are increasing at an alarming rate and the current rate is 993 cases per 100,000 people in the latest week (25-31 December). This has doubled in two weeks with the onset of the new strain of the virus.

‘In essence, we are asking the National League board to consider whether it is morally right to expect clubs to keep playing given the position the country finds itself in.

‘We appreciate the commercial issues and the impact of disruption on the higher leagues. We will fulfil our fixtures but we will do so under duress.

‘We are simply asking The National League to consider the bigger picture with regard to the risk to life and acknowledge that right now, the health and safety of the players and their families is more important than football.

‘To be clear, we are not asking for the season to end, but simply to be suspended temporarily so that all parties have time to reflect, plan but more importantly to put people first.

‘This is not a revolutionary proposal - it would merely bring The National League in line with the rest of the country.’

Kettering boss Paul Cox, above, whose side play in the National North, has questioned why his team are still being asked to play.

‘I think in the way this Covid is hitting us at the moment I find it really strange that kids can’t go to school yet we can play football,’ he stated. ‘I have always maintained there are bigger things than football.

‘The health of people and kids’ education are both bigger than football.

‘In my head do I think there needs to be a rethink? Absolutely.

‘I would love to be locked down for a month or six or eight weeks and do absolutely nothing and have this thing cleared up rather than go through another year of people passing away, people becoming ill and kids not being educated.

‘I just think it needs looking at and people really need to take stock of it and take it seriously.’