Re: Postponements

By ChrisHFC13/3/2020 21:48Fri Mar 13 21:48:01 2020In response to Postponements

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The Cheltenham Festival had already be going since Tuesday, before the Government's advice given yesterday.

The FA, in its wisdom (?), decided that all leagues in the National League System (steps 1-6, we're at step 3) should make their own decisions about continuing to play or postponing matches. Obviously if a club is affected by coronavirus, or has players and/or staff self-isolating, then their matches will not go ahead.

The National League (steps 1 and 2) decided that tomorrow's matches could go ahead, and that the League will review the position on Monday regarding future matches.

The Southern League postponed all matches for 9 days including today - not 2 weeks - with a review of the situation next Friday, 20th March. At present, all matches scheduled for Sunday 22nd March or later can go ahead, though this may change.

The Isthmian League postponed matches up to and including Friday 20th March. At present the programme for Saturday 21st March can go ahead.

The Hellenic League (steps 5 and 6, with much smaller gates than the Southern in most cases) have postponed all matches due to be played in March, the same is true, I believe, of the Spartan South Midland League, which is also at steps 5 and 6.

There will be no football in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland at all until further notice. Even matches due to be played on park pitches with a crowd of, say,3 men and a dog are postponed.

In addition, the England two-match Test series in Sri Lanks has been postponed until a future unspecified date, even though Sri Lanka has a total of just three confirmed cases of Coronavirus. The ECB want the England players and staff to get home as soon as possible..

Edited by ChrisHFC at 21:48:43 on 13th March 2020