Season Delayed?

[Logistics]

Well, it's certainly not sounding good for the season starting on 3rd October given all of the announcements made today. The National League have said that the season won't start without fans, so looking almost certain that the start will be delayed.

I guess the only hope we really have now is that somehow they can persuade the FA that Steps 1 and 2 aren't elite football, at which point I guess we'd fall under the rules currently used by Steps 3 and below. However, with the divisions being 'upgraded' to elite level when it came to the play-offs a few months ago, not sure the FA will be too keen to downgrade once again.

If it remains elite, and the National League remain firm with no matches behind closed doors, it's looking fairly bleak really for having any football before new year.

Obviously hoping that somehow football can begin with crowds on 3rd October, but I'm certainly not envying some of the decisions that are going to have to be made over the next 24 hours or so.

[casablanca]

FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round draw is this Friday at 1pm

[ChrisB]

I've not followed all the details of the National's dealings with the FA, but might they not have shot themselves in the foot a bit? I assume they pressed for play-offs to take place, and needed to be branded as 'elite'(!?) for that to happen? And now the 'elite' classification has stuck they might want to undo it again to allow small crowds (and, let's face it. at Step 2 anyway, the crowds are not large!) back into the grounds.

Anyway, let's hope that somehow or other the season can get off to a start on Oct 3rd. Much later and it really isn't going to happen in anything like the normal way.

[city since the fifties]

I assume the fa cup round will be played, but if city are drawn at home or away to another level 2 club it will be behind closed doors but if drawn away to a level 3 club or below, a certain number of fans will be allowed as per other previous rounds.

[casablanca]

Royal Wootton Bassett away!

[ChrisB]

An interesting draw...and another 'new' club for City to face in the competition. That'll make it 146 different clubs that City have faced over the years in the FA Cup!!

An interesting item on both clubs' FA Cup history on RWBTFC's website HERE.

It'll be great for City to finally have a competitive game of football after all this time. Let's hope it's not too long until the league season begins...but I'm not holding my breath on that one!!

[ChrisB]

So, as City are Step 2, does the FA Cup game at RWB have to be played behind closed-doors?

[ChrisB]

Interesting article in The Times this morning under headline of "Teams Set To Quit FA Cup" saying...

"The FA Cup is facing the threat of mass withdrawals from non-league sides who will have to pay their players for the entire season should they take part in the competition.
Advice from the FA in April allowed clubs to draw up contracts with the payment date triggered by '...the first league or cup match for the club's first team in the 2020/21 season'"

It goes on to say that 81% of National North (doesn't mention the South!) clubs not wanting to commit to it unless a financial package is in place to deal with the loss of income incurred by playing behind closed-doors.

I wonder what OCFC's position is on this perilous position?