Martyrs rule out season

MERTHYR Town have confirmed they will not be playing football in the coming season due to a number of coronavirus-related challenges.

The club’s board met last Wednesday and request to the Southern League that the 2020-21 season for the men’s first team would be suspended with immediate effect.

Reasons cited for the decision include the rise in coronavirus cases in Wales, local lockdown restrictions – which Merthyr will be placed under from 6pm this evening – and restrictions preventing fans from attending home games.

The board says it was faced with three options – playing home games in England and ground sharing but losing a large portion of matchday revenue, starting the season behind closed doors or requesting their season be suspended on the basis the Martyrs keep their place in the Southern League Premier Division.

If the fan-owned club had started the season behind closed doors, it was estimated that financial reserves already ring-fenced to pay the playing budget would run out in late November if no fans were allowed to attend games.

A statement said: “This would put the club in a position where we would inevitably be eventually trading insolvently and we could not allow that to happen. We have been advised that the National Game Board will not penalise any clubs due to the pandemic and we would be able to retain our place in next season’s FA Cup, due to the unprecedented circumstances.”