Health trumps need to finish league season

Windsor boss Mark Cooper has said the health of the nation is of paramount importance, but added that if nonleague clubs aren’t back playing competitive football by March 1 he thinks it’s very unlikely they’ll be able to complete their campaigns in full or on time.

Windsor have seen their Hellenic Premier Division season paused on two occasions now, with all football activity outside of the elite game suspended until further notice due to a third national lockdown.

Cooper hopes they’ll be able to get back to action next month, or by March at the latest, and says league bosses may have to come up with some creative solutions if they're to finish off campaigns satisfactorily.

However, he adds that everyone is in danger of losing sight of the fact we’re living through a global pandemic, where football – for the time being at least – has to take a back seat in people’s priorities.

“It looks like if we’re not back playing league football by March 1 then we won’t be able to complete the season,” he said.

“I think the FA has extended the possibility of playing the league up until the end of May.

“You’ve got March/April\May to play the best part of 30 games.

“That’s only three months.

“We’ll be pushed anyway and that’s without further games being called off for

COVID or anything else.”

Cooper believes clubs and players will need to be patient, and work quickly with the cards they’re dealt this season.

If they can get back to league action and complete the season, he’ll be delighted, but he’s learned not to predict anything this year.

“The picture doesn’t look that positive at the moment,” he said.

“We’re just more than happy that we haven’t had anyone at the club suffer severely through hospitalisation or worse.

“That’s the main thing and we need to bear that in mind.”