FA Council ratify curtailment of Steps 3-6 season

With the final National League decision coming less than seven days before the Council meeting that will be presented further down the line, but the season below Step 2 is officially over following Thursday’s vote, after a restart was ruled out inline with the roadmap out of lockdown.

The results of a survey sent out earlier this year, showed that over 76 per cent of all clubs across Steps 3-6 indicated a preference to curtail the 2020-21 league season if it could not be restarted with limited spectator numbers and hospitality before April 1.

An FA statement said: “During this process, taking into account views of clubs and leagues, it was decided that extending… beyond the end of May 2021 would not be a viable option. This was due to various considerations, including the financial implications for many clubs, player contracts and the extent of the fixture scheduling issues caused by the national lockdown and various postponements”

The Southern League have confirmed their 2021-22 season will start on August 14.