Northern League’s preferred option is to ‘null and void season’
The Ebac Northern League have confirmed that their preferred action for the 2020/21 season would be to null and void all results during the campaign.
The league’s 40 member clubs have been without a league fixture since early November when the Football Association placed a hold on games below National League North level in response to the government tightening restrictions during the battle with the Covid-19 epidemic.
With those restrictions increased after the festive period, a meeting of the league management committee took place on Friday night after clubs received a survey put together by the governing body to gather their views on the best way forwards.
The Northern League believe that the season should be declared null and void for the second year in a row – although this is just a “preferred option” rather than a final decision as has been suggested on social media.
A statement released on the league website revealed that the committee agreed that fixtures should not resume until a set level of supporters are allowed to attend and clubs are able to open up their “secondary income streams” such as clubhouses and catering facilities.
The league also revealed that they are proposing a cup competition to take place in April but confirmed that this would only be considered if
current Covid restrictions were relaxed.
The statement in full read: “The League Management Committee has fully considered the document (survey) and various options put forward within it and wholeheartedly agrees with the statement made by FA Leagues Committee that a pre-condition of any resumption should be that all clubs
are able to admit paying spectators to Phase 2 levels (30% of the minimum grading requirement – as per the NLS Return to Football Guidance) and be able to access secondary income streams such as bar income, which mirrors the overall view of clubs in the Ebac Northern League’s recent survey of its clubs, the results of which were passed on to the FA.
“Having evaluated all the options on offer and the implications for our clubs it is the considered opinion of the LMC that in the current circumstances the only viable option is to declare the current season null and void and aim to get a full 21/22 season completed commencing in early August 2021.
“Should the situation improve more quickly than is expected, the League would look to offer some competitive football in the form of a cup competition in April/May to enable clubs to recoup some of the missed income and reengage with supporters, but this wouldn’t be mandatory and would only be considered if safe to do so.”
All clubs have been asked to return the survey to allow the Football Association’s
Leagues Committee to make a recommendation on how to complete the current season to the FA Council.
Northern League Division One promotion challengers Shildon became the first club to show their hand when they released a statement confirming their belief that the season should be paused immediately and then resumed from its current point in August.