Coronavirus Stops Play at Midsomer Norton Cricket Club

The return of test match cricket in July, when England take on the visiting West Indies, will give a boost to all cricket fans, including players and members at Midsomer Norton Cricket Club.

The coronavirus outbreak and lockdown measures have impacted Midsomer Norton Cricket Club like everyone else. As we approach what would normally be the midpoint of the league campaign, no matches have been played at the club’s Withies Lane ground but the club is closely following the advice provided by the national and county cricket bodies.

At present, some socially distanced practice is permitted and the club is hopeful that as lockdown restrictions are eased, training activities will become more competitive and match like in nature. Off the pitch, the club has been busy with online social activities, including a regular Saturday evening music quiz and maintenance and refurbishment of the ground and its facilities continues. Coach Jake Rowe posts online training and fitness videos.

Sadly, coronavirus has forced the cancellation of the club’s August Outfield festival which proved such a great success in 2019 but plans are already being made for Outfield 2021.

The club is hopeful that some cricket will be played at Withies Lane before the end of the summer so if you (or one of your children) are interested in joining the club, then please visit the Club website for contact details. New members are always welcome!

Step One for All and All for One

When Alexandre Dumas wrote The Three Musketeers in 1844, little did he know that "one for all and all for one" would be central to the Football Associations plans to restart the National League Pyramid 176 years later. The headline coming out of the Step 5 and 6 Leagues meeting on June 19th was that all parties are aiming for a September kick off to the 2020/21 season with the caveat being the approval of Government, specifically the Department for Culture Media and Sport. However, there is another rider and that is that all Steps start together.

The Toolstation Western League sits across both Steps 5 and 6 of the pyramid. The FA have made it clear that Western League matches won't be starting until its safe to play National League matches, which means that Welton Rovers won't be playing until Bath City are back.

But for many Clubs, players and fans, the key question going into the meeting was what restrictions would grassroots football face in order to get back playing again? Speculation was rife about that the possibility of closed changing rooms and tea huts, with fans wearing facemasks and subject to temperature checks at the turnstiles. The FA are clearly hoping that the "new normal" won't be that much different to the "old normal", not least because they recognise that the burden for implementing any restrictions will fall hardest on those who are volunteering their time, potentially driving them out of the game.

When football does start all Clubs will need to publish a Covid-19 Risk Assessment, the details of which will hopefully become clearer over the coming weeks, when more guidance is released by the DCMS and the FA. However, this has done little to stem the speculation around what restrictions Club volunteers, players, spectators and match officials might be subject to, if we are all to enjoy a September kick off.

Pre-season, by definition, must occur before the League campaign can begin. If League fixtures are to start in September the pre-season will take place in August.

For many Clubs at the bottom of the pyramid, friendly home matches against higher level opposition can be a real money spinner. Given the financial drought Clubs have been subject to, the prospect of a lucrative friendly is understandably enticing.

It appears that the FA, they have pledged to provide Clubs with specific instructions relating to the start of both the League and pre-season campaigns. The irony is that given all its efforts to start safely, pre-season presents football with a health and safety tsunami. Last season Western League Hallen played Bristol City in front of 1,800 fans. A gate like that can make a Clubs season, so how do we reconcile Covid-19 Risk Assessments for non-leagues Clubs getting a professional league gate?

The FA’s presentation explored the possibility of both limiting ground capacities and using advanced ticket sales to manage attendance, but even these measures mean footballs ability to manage “the new normal” will be tested to destruction from the very start.

In terms of the FA’s scenario planning for running a full season, a great deal of work has gone into understanding weekend and weekday “slots” for fixtures to be planned, based on the number of teams in each Division. At Step 5 and 6 the FA presentation identified a maximum of 20 teams in each Division, yet the Toolstation Western League Premier Division includes 21 teams. From a fixtures perspective 21 teams might as well be 22, as the weekly allocation of games for an odd number of teams means one side is always left without a fixture.

Last season this anomaly hampered the Leagues ability to address fixture congestion in the wake of the severe weather disruption that occurred during the winter months. Given the prospect of a condensed 2020/21 campaign, the Western League is already at a disadvantage if the FA’s calculations have failed to recognise the number of fixtures the Premier Division will need to complete.

Whilst the FA recognised the threat to matches posed by local lockdowns and a second wave of the Coronavirus, there was no mention of the flexibility needed to cater for the Great British weather, particularly at the base of the pyramid where pitches and facilities are more susceptible to disruption. Whilst most of us want to know when next season can begin, perhaps the more pertinent question is when will it need to finish? The FA has given Leagues two clues about this. Firstly, we know that all Steps will start together, secondly we know the FA have indicated they are planning for a “traditional start” to the 2021/22 season.

Before the outbreak of Covid-19, the Western League had requested an extension to the 2019/20 season, only to be told by the FA they expected all games to completed by 25th April, a decision that appears to have been predicated on the ‘pure pyramid’ restructuring programme scheduled to be set out on May 12th. This sets a worrying precedent, as if the FA are planning on a traditional start to the 21/22 campaign, which will inevitably revisit the League changes planned for this start of this coming season, then with all Steps starting together, its hard to see any flexibility being given to a weather disrupted 20/21 campaign.

If Covid-19 has done anything for grassroots football, its to place into perspective the debates raging last season about lateral movement out of Leagues. Football with lateral movement is better than nothing and given that we’ve had nothing for the past three months, we all know what that feels like!

Regardless of the restructuring scheduled for 21/22, lateral movement might still have a part to play in this season. The FA’s position on this is:

“Lateral Movement will be considered within a Step – but only where such is appropriate – ie that Clubs are swapping Leagues, with the agreement of the two clubs and their Leagues, or that the FALC feel that lateral movement is imperative for this season to assist with the allocations, this will only be considered in a scenario of real need, as major lateral movements will take place at the end of this season in the planned but now delayed restructure.”

If the FA believe that all Step5/6 Leagues should have a maximum of 20 teams, does this suggest that lateral movement out of the Western League Premier Division would qualify as an “imperative for this season”? If this was to be the case, we can only hope the chosen Club would be consulted and in agreement.

To be fair on the Football Association they are clearly working very hard, with the Department for Culture Media and Sport, to get us playing again and for all fans that must be welcomed. When it comes to the challenges of managing this situation with a voluntary workforce, the FA certainly talk a good game, so it will be interesting to see how practical their advice actually is, when it is released over the coming weeks. However, we are dealing with the law of unintended consequence and with the best will in the world, Fridays meeting has possessed some fundamental questions about the practicality of bringing back grassroots football and what that might mean for the Toolstation Western League.

Paulton Rovers Celebrate 16 Years in the Southern League

Paulton Rovers huddle at Swindon Supermarine

Since joining the Southern League in 2004/5 Rovers have played 93 different clubs in the league alone.

In that time having played in Midlands, West, South and West plus 2 years in the Premier Division, away games have taken Paulton to trips as far away as Surrey, Cambridgeshire, Cornwall and Warwickshire and many more counties in between.

The full list of the 93 opponents:

Abingdon United, Andover, Ashford Town (Middlesex), Almondsbury Town, Arlesley Town, AFC Hayes (ex Brook House)), AFC Totton

Burnham, Bracknell Town, Brackley Town, Bromsgrove Rovers, Bedworth United, Beaconsfield SYCOB, Bridgwater Town, Bishops Cleeve, Bedfont Green, Bashley, Bideford, Banbury United, Barnstable Town, Bristol Manor Farm, Basingstoke Town, Blackfield and Langley, Biggleswade Town

Corby Town, Clevedon Town, Cinderford Town, Cirencester Town, Chesham United, Chippenham Town, Cambridge City

Dunstable Town, Didcot Town, Dorchester Town

Egham Town, Evesham United,

Frome Town, Fleet Town, Farnborough

Guildford Borough, Godalming Town

Hemel Hempstead Town, Hungerford Town, Hanwell Town, Hillingdon Borough, Halesowen Town, Hereford United, Histon, Highworth Town, Hitchin Town

Kings Lynn Town, Kettering Town, Kidlington

Leighton Town, Lymington and New Milton, Larkhall Athletic, Leamington

Mangotsfield United, Marlow, Merthyr Town, Melksham Town, Moneyfields

Oxford City

Newport (IOW), North Leigh

Poole Town

Rothwell Town, Rushall Olympic, Redditch United

Stratford Town, St Neots Town, Slimbridge, Salisbury, Street, Sholing (ex VT),
Slough Town, Solihull Borough, Sutton Coldfield Town, Stourport Swifts,
Shortwood United, Swindon Supermarine

Truro City, Taunton Town, Tiverton Town, Thatcham Town

Uxbridge

Willenhall Town, Wantage Town, Weymouth, Winchester City,
Windsor and Eton, Wimborne Town

Yate Town

Willand Rovers (in the division 20/21 but Paulton did not play a league game against them)

We have had excellent hard working managers in our Southern League campaigns with Darren Perrin, Andy Jones, Mark Harrington, Nick Bunyard, Richard Fey, Tony Ricketts and John Rendell, as well as some great coaches from Mike Kilgour, Steve Tovey, Paul Milsom, Aaron Brown, Nathan Rudge, Martyn Grimshaw, Kye Mountford and Paul Tovey.

If anyone has kept records of appearances and goalscorers over the years or any further information
e mail - ciaranlskinner@gmail.com and/or tony.walsh1948@gmail.com

Paulton Rovers Announce Hat Trick of Signatures

Will Hailston returns
 to Paulton Rovers

Paulton Rovers assistant manager, Paul Tovey announced 'After the recent disappointment in losing last season’s top goal scorer to lower league Roman Glass, we are thrilled to announce a triple signing to reignite the squad'. 

First to sign and commit has been Will Hailston who returns to the club.  After starting out at Bath City, he has scored goals wherever he has been. A local boy whose previous clubs apart from Paulton, Bradford and Frome Town, he will bring great potency to our forward line.

Another signing coming back to play for his local club is Dan Cottle who we have managed to prize from local rivals Frome Town. He greatly impressed when playing against us in the final game before lockdown, and has been a target ever since. Dan is a clever player who can link midfield and attack, and also get on the scoresheet himself.

Finally, to add even more goals we have added the prolific Jack Fillingham, who last season notched 28 goals in 31 in helping Shepton Mallet finish in the top 6 of the Western League.

He has been sought after by every ambitious local club in both the Western and Southern Leagues, and it is somewhat of a coup that we have managed to bring him to Paulton. His attitude, energy and goal scoring prowess will make him a threat in this league and one to watch.

There will be confirmation in the coming days of players who have been retained from last season and further new additions.

You Can Take Our Temperature, But You’ll Never Take Our Tea Hut: Grassroots Fans Consider Bringing Back Non League Football

Football fans across the country have been wondering when they might get back to the terraces, ever since matches were suspended in February. On Friday June 19th, the journey back to playing takes a step closer for grassroots fans, when the Football Association meets with the League Officials at Steps 5 and 6 of the pyramid.

Whatever restrictions may be needed to get football underway at the top of the professional game, playing behind closed doors is simply not an option for non-league football. Given that no more than six people are currently allowed to meet outdoors at any one time, these conversations might appear somewhat premature, but there are clear clues as to what the “new normal” might look like for football fans.

Social distancing is something we are all coming to terms with, as are face masks, gloves and contactless payments. Football has its own frame of reference, with FIFA and the FA both providing guidance on what the Government’s Coronavirus regulations mean to the football family. So with this in mind, Ian Nockolds, Research Director at Bath based research agency Cognisant, developed a survey to assess what measures fans, players, managers and officials would consider putting up with, if it meant grassroots football could start playing again.

The headline figures show that 44% of respondents to the survey would not agree to football coming back if it meant changing rooms had to be closed. For players in particular, the prospect of playing without changing facilities was something that half (50%) of those completing the survey were not prepared to do, whilst the number of managers not prepared to return without changing rooms was 61%. The inevitable consequence of playing without changing rooms would mean that players would need to travel to games in kit, something that 26% of respondents didn’t consider viable, rising to 35% amongst players.

As pubs continue to be closed, so do Clubhouses. The prospect of playing without Clubhouses open was something that 39% of survey respondents were not prepared to consider, a figure that increased to 52% when Club Officials were asked the same question. Given the importance of Clubhouses to the grassroots football economy, it’s hardly surprising that tea huts were also identified as a facility fans can’t live without. Overall, the closure of tea huts was identified by 38% of respondents as something they would not agree to. Nearly half (48%) of Club Officials wouldn’t play without tea huts, whilst a third (33%) of supporters expressed the same opinion.

Fourth on the list of measures the football family wouldn’t agree to was spectators wearing gloves at games, at 29%, whilst a third of fans (33%) felt this was an intervention too far. Spectators wearing mouth and nose protection was also an issue for the fans, with 26% indicating they wouldn’t agree to this. Yet fans were far more amenable to the prospect of submitting to temperature checks before entry, currently a requirement at airports, with only 16% of spectators indicating they wouldn't agree if this measure was brought in. However, Club Officials were less amenable to temperature checks, with 34% indicating they wouldn’t agree to this restriction.

Necessity is the mother of invention and with the restrictions that Covid-19 has placed upon us, what about the opportunities to evolve the way we administer our National game? Will Coronavirus sound the death knell for the paper programme and will cash payments at matches also become a thing of the past? Only 9% of survey respondents indicated that introducing cash only payment for food and beverage purchases would mean they would not return to football. Slightly more respondents were so attached to their paper programme that it became a deal breaker, with 17% suggesting they couldn’t continue to attend games with only an electronic programme. However, the prospect of cashless payments to match officials was something that nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents felt would be preferable going forward, putting it second only to the use of hand sanitizer as a desirable innovation from restarting in the wake of the virus.

Perhaps the most critical factor in understanding these results is the degree of dissent football can tolerate in order to restart. When we look at those saying they will not agree to come back, could the game go ahead with 10% fewer fans or even Clubs? What is the magic number beyond which the game isn’t viable? Club and League Officials carry the weight of responsibility without the Government giving them green light, as shown by their more pessimistic responses to this survey.

If one thing is clear from these results its that the different branches of the football family tree have very different opinions as to what they would consider an intervention too far, when it comes to seeing our National game return. If this exercise has proven anything its that its not a simple as fans thinking the FA, or the Leagues, have got their decision “wrong” as to whether we start again or not. They need to recognise the differences that exist between their opinion, the players, officials and the Clubs.

As with any research exercise there are some important questions to answer in terms of who answered the survey and when. This survey was open for responses between June 11th and June 17th and was completed by 759 respondents. Of those responding 96% were male and 61% were from the Western, Wessex and South West Peninsular Leagues. In terms of age, 59% were aged 44 or under, with 30% aged 25-34. So what does this mean? Respondents to this survey were self selecting not random, they were overwhelming male, from the South and South West and probably younger than most non-league fans would have considered representative of the Step 5 and 6 football family. However, at 759 completed interviews this survey represents the largest single data collection exercise across the football family that has been conducted into attitudes concerning restarting football. Whatever its limitations, this survey overwhelming has many positives that enable it to add to, rather than detract from the debate surrounding grassroots game.

With that in mind, I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to complete this survey including Phil Hiscox from the South West Peninsular League and Patrick McManus, the manager of Brockenhurst FC, who both made a considerable effort to encourage others to participate in this project. A special note of thanks also goes to Warminster Town’s Roland Millward, whose tireless efforts to promote this survey across the pyramid have made this exercise far more successful than I would ever have considered it could have been.

Stay Safe, Protect the NHS and Love Grassroots Football.

Radstock on the Road to Recovery

Elliot Bansal and Stuart Carter from A37Vans are
pictured with Miners Chairman Simon Wilkinson

The Coronavirus crisis has prompted many acts of generosity, even at a time of economic crisis. Local sports Clubs, like many other community groups, have been desperate for support as their facilities remain closed. Radstock Town Football Club had planned an ambitious programme of renovations, in preparation for next season, yet their finances had been hit by a premature end to the 2019/20 season and a loss of valuable gate receipts. 

Unperturbed, the Club pressed on with their plans, largely thanks to the generous support of fans and players, volunteering their time to complete the work. Yet goodwill can only get you so far and for the Miners to arrive at their ultimate destination, they were going to need someone to help them on their way. 

Radstock Town Chairman, Simon Wilkinson, explains, "A month ago, at a time when there was no real idea of when some kind of normality would return, the owner of A37 Vans, Elliot Bansal, offered the club a life line by promising to donate £200 for every van he sold during May in an effort to boost our fighting fund.

Wind the clock forward thirty days and we are very happy to announce that this extraordinary act of generosity has resulted in Elliot giving the club an amazing £4,000!

There aren't the words to describe our gratitude for this selfless gesture and we look forward to seeing him and his team at Southfields in the near future to thank them all personally. In the meantime please keep supporting local business's because they support us."

A37 Vans is a family run business based at the Temple Bridge Business Park, Temple Cloud.

Its Childs Play for the Miners

Radstock Town Chairman, Simon Wilkinson (left)
 commentating with Ian Nockolds.

Radstock Town Chairman, Simon Wilkinson issues a message to the Miners.

"Well, here we are all most three months after being told to stop playing and having been focusing on the fantastic work being done by the club’s supporters, players and management to refurbish the club house and ground I thought it was time to bring you up to date with where we are from a football perspective.

As you know Nathan was keen to carry on with the work that he and Brett had been doing last season and both of us are very pleased to announce that Ryan Child will be working with him to continue that project and deliver the success that the football being played during the last campaign deserves. Ryan is a UEFA B coach but is still very keen to play and sees this role as an opportunity to compliment his time on the pitch rather than compromise it and is relishing this first move into team coaching and management.

The players themselves are ‘chomping at the bit’ to get started and there was just a little bit of envy amongst them last week when the under eighteens started their return to playing with a very well organised session completed well within the FA safe distancing guidelines.

Nathan and Ryan are working on their own return to training plan at the moment, which I am assured will be getting started in the very near future. I am also hopeful that we may get some indications as to when our 125^th anniversary season will kick off following a meeting planned for June 19^th between all of the step 5 & 6 leagues and the FA. Personally, I think that will be in September but whenever it is, be assured that we will be ready.

Back in March I can say that I was worried about what sort of future ‘the Miners’ were facing and even if there was one at all but because of the remarkable efforts of so many people to financially support and rejuvenate the club I now believe that when we get to the other side of this pandemic the club will be in a really strong position to go forward and that we are actually on the threshold of something very special.

Thank you one and all and please stay safe.

Restarting Grassroots Football Survey

Cognisant’s Research Director, Ian Nockolds and 
Marketing Manager Paul Myers, wearing Welton Rovers
 shirts  in support of Football Shirt Friday

A non league football fan has launched a survey asking players, supporters, match officials and managers for their thoughts on the return of grassroots football.

Ian Nockolds, presenter of the Toolstation Western League Podcast, is also Research Director at Bath based Market Research company Cognisant Research, and has used his professional expertise to develop a survey designed to understand how the football family will cope with the restrictions likely to be imposed on non-league clubs, if the 2020/21 season is allowed to start.

Ian explains, "The Leagues at Steps 5 and 6 have been invited to a meeting with the FA on Friday, June 19th. Ahead of that meeting I'd like to ask fans what they think about the return of football and the restrictions they might need to accept to watch a game this year.

Whilst the FA consults with the Leagues and they have their own way of engaging with their Clubs, this survey is about developing a body of opinion that demonstrates what the football family is thinking.

I'm hoping we'll have enough responses to give Clubs, Leagues and the FA, an idea what the football family is thinking. You never know, consultation like this might even catch on”!

The Restarting Grassroots Football Survey can be accessed here . The survey will remain open until June 17th, when results will be posted on this blog.

Paulton Rovers Chairman Reflects on the Season that Never Was

Paulton Rovers football chairman Dave Bissex declared 'Well what a year where do I start. A great pity we didn’t complete the season, I sincerely believe the club would have made the play-offs and we were reaching peak form and could’ve moved on, but this coronavirus halted all that, and totally changed not only football, but the whole of our lives'.

Dave said ' John Rendell our manager, with coaches Paul Tovey and Kye Mountford had actually built up a great bunch of lads and some of the football we were playing particularly latterly was most enjoyable. It was great to see Ben Bament finish the reduced season as leading goalscorer in our division, it was suggested all records should be expunged, but I expressed my own views with a club hat on giving particular thoughts to Ben, that was quite an achievement and he may never achieve that ‘goal’ again and it’s something that he can tell his grandchildren many years to come.

Although I am sure we would all like to see a repeat of that when we eventually start playing football again. When will that be one says, who knows, various options have been discussed and considered by the FA and that includes the possibility of not even starting until January of next year!

The prospects over the last couple of weeks have looked positive but it is very disappointing to see that the west country has now one of the highest infection rates in the country, and if the public doesn’t take serious notice there’s not much doubt we’re going to end up going back into lockdown again in the near future.'

Another thing absolutely imperative for all clubs at step three and below is that their club and bar facilities are fully functional again. 

For many clubs, this is their only source of revenue and they won’t be able to field a team of players or incur the cost of travelling and other expenses without their bar revenue. This I know is also something the FA are taking into consideration when restarting non league football, it’s being suggested that clubs and pubs may open in July, how successful that will be with the social distancing remains to be seen.

We have been taking advantage of the club being empty and various improvements and redecoration works have been carried out over the past few months being very careful to maintain social distancing, thanks to all those volunteers who gave up their time to assist with this.

Likewise the lads have done us proud and got the pitch in great nick again by taking advantage of the shortened season to give more time for grass growth.

Rest assured we are keeping a watchful eye on things and carefully monitoring what the government and the FA are saying, and we will be ready to resume with a strong squad once again when ever this happens.

We will give you an update again when we have more information to pass on in the meantime on behalf of Paulton Rovers and myself,  stay safe and look after yourselves.'

Living With Risk: The Road Map for the Return of Grassroots Football

Whenever non-league football restarts one thing is for sure, we will all be living with risk. The World Health Organisation has said that no vaccine is 100% effective, so even the best-case scenario for coming out of the Coronavirus crisis, carries risk. More realistically, the governments scientific advisers have played down the prospect of a vaccine being ready before 2021, so if we are going to get playing without one, we need to consider how much risk we are prepared to put up with.

I say “we” because depending on your involvement, be it as a fan, player or administrator, the nature of the risk we are all exposed to will be different. Fans and officials will be able to socially distance, even in clubhouses, where the guidance offered to pubs is likely to apply. Whether we end up one or two meters apart, using screens and facemasks, we can see a way back.

Yet the road map for players is far more complicated. The guidance published by the Department for Culture Media and Sport on May 30^th provides a first glimpse into what the Government are thinking. Strictly speaking the most relevant announcement to the grassroots game was that “restrictions around group exercise will be relaxed (on June 1^st) to allow for up to 6 people to meet outdoors for non-contact sport, fitness and training sessions”. But football is a contact sport and whilst the professional game has found a route back to playing, their journey is inextricably linked with a rigorous testing regime that the rest of society, let alone grassroots football, can only dream of.

The FA published their own guidance for “permitted grassroots football activity” on June 1^st. Yet this failed to add any further clarity to that provided by the DCMS on the previous day. Contact training appears to be permissible with members of your own household, but other than that its “football training or fitness activities in groups of no more than six, keeping two metres apart at all times.”

When the Government gave the green light to the resumption of competitive sport behind closed doors, it wasn’t talking about grassroots football. However, the government guidance did leave a number of clues to the future of competitive football that are as relevant to sides at the base of the pyramid, as those at its pinnacle.

• All competition delivery partners and user groups involved, from the teams and athletes, to the support staff, officials and media, must travel individually and by private transport where possible;

• Prior to entering the competition venue, they are expected to carry out a screening process for coronavirus symptoms.

• A one-way system for the movement of people and vehicles should be established around the competition venue;

• Social distancing should be maintained by all groups where possible. This includes the competing athletes and support staff on the bench and field of play, such as during any disputes between players and referees, or scoring celebrations;

• Dressing room usage should be minimised, however showers can be used in line with Government guidelines;

• All non-essential activities, such as catering, should be limited;

So, we know that, players can train in groups of five, given that the sixth person will be a coach, a fact confirmed by the FA. Anyone going to train or to a game needs to go on their own, no car sharing. One way movement around grounds, like we’ve been doing in the supermarket. Players arriving in kit for training and matches. Dressing rooms and even tea huts, with catering facilities limited, are also something to consider.

Realistically, we can only hope that the stringent restrictions professional football has been subject to will ease over the coming weeks, but without a zero infection rate and without a vaccine, non league fans need to remember the words of the DCMS, who’ve said that “Where social distancing cannot be maintained, sports governing bodies, clubs and teams should implement a rigorous regime to monitor for symptoms”.

Practically speaking, this can’t mean testing at non-league level, so will we have to get used to having our temperature taken at the turnstiles, contactless payments at the bar and socially distanced goal celebrations?

FIFA issued their own risk assessment tool on May 29th, along with the World Health Organization (WHO), UEFA, the European Club Association (ECA), FIFPRO, the World Leagues Forum and European Leagues. In their joint statement the World Governing Body warned that “Until a vaccine is developed for Covid-19, the team environment will be quite different.

The aim of this joint effort is to consider the health of all participants in footballing activities, the risk assessments and the factors that need to be in place in order for football, both at a professional and at an amateur level, to resume safely.”

Ultimately, it will be for the Government to decide when grassroots football can return and presumably for the FA to tell us how it can safely resume. With that in mind its worth considering the Governments own traffic light system for measuring the Coronavirus alert level in England.

We know schools and shops have re-opened as we “transition” from Level 4 to Level 3, so at what level will football fans be allowed back through the turnstiles? Will we need to be at Level 2 before the 2020/21 season is a realistic proposition, or can we kick off when we are transitioning out of Level 3?

Whatever the authorities are thinking it would be helpful if they could share it with the football family. We know this is an unprecedented crisis but planning for the return of football is something Clubs and Leagues want to start doing now, we just need to understand how we can live with the risks.