Football Restart proposed for Saturday April 10

This communication has been sent to club secretaries, and is posted here for everyone’s information:

Your League committee met on Wednesday evening to consider the views submitted from 88% of you on options for completing the 20/21 season, and in addition to the information set out in the Governments roadmap this week. We would like to thank you for your time taken in providing these responses. The results of the survey showed that 61% of you indicated to curtail the season, although there was certainly a lot of interest shown in running a cup competition instead of completing the full league fixtures? However, in the light of the new information received regarding the 29th March start date and an extension to the season into June granted by the FA we wanted to come back to you to confirm that is still the case?

Any form of start up would begin on Saturday 10th April, allowing time for you to warm up and maybe get a friendly played. We are in discussion with the Parish Council regarding pitch availability, and ask those of you with your own to check, before making a choice from below, please?

Covid 19 is still around and there is no guarantee that your games would not be affected by players having to self isolate. There is also a question mark over referee availability due to Covid as well. Yours and their safety and welfare is our first concern, as always, and with that in mind, no clubs would be penalized for not taking part in any competition if we restart?

We would like to give you further options to consider by playing competitive or non-competitive football?

1. Competitive football – Start Saturday 10th April – Finish Mid May
(a) to finish the league in a hybrid way which only involves playing your opponent once only, (so shortening the season).
Where you have already played your opponents once already the result will stand – but where you have played them twice an aggregate score will determine the points. All costs will be shared, because we have to play where pitches are available. This way we feel that your efforts so far this season will not be totally wasted.

(b) a round robin cup competition – Start Saturday 10th April – Finish Mid May
Teams will play in groups – with the bottom team dropping out then others will be drawn aka knockout (Champions League format) – with all costs shared. This way it gives you a mini tournament to get health and mental issues back on track and a bit more of normality back into your lives.

Both options may involve a couple of evening games.

Please vote Option 1a, or 1b.

2. Non-competitive football,
The league would help clubs by organising friendlies on their behalf.

or vote Option 2.

3. End the season now

or vote Option 3.

Please Vote ( 1 vote per club, 3 options, 1 (a or b), 2 or 3, but you can vote for both 1a and 1b if you wish )
We need at least a 66% consensus.

This is your opportunity to get back to football, but we must receive a response from 2/3rds of our member clubs.

 

The Swindon & District Football League Committee