Covid-19 contingency plans revealed

FA prepares to avoid third curtailment

By David Richardson

PROGRESS has been made over Covid-19 contingency plans ahead of the new season – and clubs can give their views on the latest update.

The FA have outlined their current thinking and proposals to Step 3-6 leagues and clubs.

The Alliance Leagues Committee, made up of representatives from the National League, Northern Premier League, Isthmian League and Southern League, as well as the Leagues Committee and leagues at Step 5 and 6 have been working with the FA Executive to devise what is to happen in the event of more interruptions tin 2021-22.

READY TO GO: The Isthmian League sides Sevenoaks Town and Hastings United are among those that have had two seasons disrupted

PICTURE: Matt Bristow

After two disrupted campaigns, with no promotion and relegation across the Trident Leagues and movement at Steps 5 and 6 only due to the restructure, the Committee has devised several Approaches to prevent a third consecutive season being curtailed or declared null and void.

Their primary objection is to ensure promotion and relegation at all Steps and protect and maintain the sporting integrity and stability of the National League System.

The Committee has developed its Approaches based on several assumptions. Where divisions are able to complete a full season of fixtures, leagues will be determined and promotion and relegation will take place.

Support

The league season at Steps 3-4 is expected to commence on August 14 while some Step 5-6 leagues begin this weekend. They can commence as late as October 31 and still have enough time to complete a full season of fixtures by the last weekend in April 2022 or second week in May 2022 at the latest.

The Committee remain of the view that if clubs are unable to welcome spectators to what it deems to be an acceptable level and without the ability to generate some secondary spend via food and beverage sales, or without financial support to cover some of these losses, then football at Steps 3-6 cannot commence or continue.

The main issue of the contingency plans surrounds the trigger point for permitting promotion and relegation on an unweighted points-per-game basis.

It has now been proposed, under Approach 1, that if the season successfully starts between 14 August and 31 October, but cannot complete 100 per cent of its fixtures, then league tables should still be finalised where a division has completed at least 75 per cent of its fixtures.

The Committee would determine whether play-offs would take place, or promote the top two clubs instead, depending on time available.

Approach 2 is for an alternate competition to be implemented in one of two forms. The first is for a division to remain whole but with all clubs playing each other once. Or existing divisions are split in half with clubs playing each other on a home AND away basis.

The third Approach for a supplementary competition may be used where Approach 1 or 2 are implemented but cannot be completed.

The supplementary competition intends to use results from the 2021-22 season to avoid clubs playing opponents more than twice and ensure sufficient data to determine the final standings.

Consistently

The Committee proposes to consider each division’s individual circumstances when determining which of the Approaches to apply, whilst also ensuring that all divisions are treated fairly and consistently.

This may lead to different divisions within the same Step being subject to different Approaches.

The Committee’s intention is for promotion and relegation to occur where standings have been determined, but that will be subject to a wider review of all divisions in the Steps to ensure the integrity and stability of the NLS is maintained.

Clubs can provide observations on the proposals to the FA by Friday to be considered as the FA develop the Approaches.

The National League will engage in its own process with its clubs at Steps 1 and 2.