Non-League’s top competitions considering suspensions over outbreak

Non-League’s senior competitions are weighing up suspending their campaigns today as the spread of coronavirus saw all elite football in the UK suspended until at least 3 April.

All Premier League games, EFL fixtures and matches in the FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship were postponed for at least the next three weeks on Friday morning.

The remainder of the Scottish football season was also postponed indefinitely on Friday morning over fears around fans helping to spread the virus.

A board meeting of the National League is due to take place in the next hour to decide where they stand.

LIVE: https://t.co/oU8lPC8rD1 pic.twitter.com/aIP3FEWg8U

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 13, 2020

By midday, the Football Association of Wales [FAW] had suspended domestic football at all levels in Wales until at least 4 April.

Uefa also confirmed they were calling off all their competitions with next week’s Champions League and Europa League matches all postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The National League are meeting at lunchtime today to consider the response of Non-League’s top competition.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE |

We have been given the following statement from the Southern League in relation to upcoming games!

“A conference call is taking place this afternoon to discuss the situation following advice that the FA has been given by the Government”

Read More:

— Kings Langley FC (@KLFCofficial) March 13, 2020

The Isthmian, Northern Premier League and Southern League are also expected to hold further discussions today.

According to a statement released by the NPL on Thursday, all three competitions and their Step 5 counterparts still plan to play this weekend after meeting with the Football Association on Wednesday.

The statement read: “The NPL together will all other Alliance leagues and representatives of Step 5-6 leagues met with the FA executive on Wednesday March 11.

“At this point there are no plans to cancel, postpone or to play games behind closed doors. Although the situation remains fluid and government guidance could change at any point, all games at Steps 1-4 will go ahead as planned unless external forces dictate otherwise.”

The Isthmian League fixture between Sevenoaks and Guernsey has already been postponed after the Green Lions were advised against all but essential travel by the island’s authorities.

Premier League ?
EFL ?
WSL ?
FA Cup ?

All elite football in England has been postponed until at least 3 April due to the coronavirus outbreak.

? https://t.co/UCiZA46GNW pic.twitter.com/P1GgByPOP2

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 13, 2020

Make sure you get your copy of The Non-League Paper on a Sunday for the latest news and action from across Non-League over the last seven days.

As well as exclusive match reports and pictures from all of Saturday’s fixtures in the Vanarama National League, the BetVictor-Sponsored Isthmian League, Southern League and Northern Premier League, The Non-League Paper’s live coverage extends all the way to Steps 5 and 6.