Coronavirus: Managers react as SCFL season set to be terminated

Football managers and coaches have reacted to the news that the Southern Combination Football League is set to be terminated.
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Following video conferences involving the FA and league officials on Monday night and Tuesday, it looks like the SCFL will stop. The same is set to happen to the Isthmian League.

It is believed the National League - which runs the National premier, south and north divisions - the south division including Eastbourne Borough - wants to resume their 2019-20 season whenever possible.

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Worthing United manager Danny WoodWorthing United manager Danny Wood
Worthing United manager Danny Wood

Assistant manager Mitch Hand said: "It’s hard to even comment on the situation to be completely honest, we’re at a stage where absolutely no one has a clue what’s going on and I think that includes the officials making the big decisions too.

"I find it hard to see how a season can be completely null and void with the majority of it completed and to do so in my personal opinion wrecks the integrity of the whole game.

"The logical thing to do would be to finish the season whenever that may be. The impact that has on next season I think is something you have to take, but whatever the ramifications are on the season after at least everyone is on a level playing field.

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"Whatever they decide to do someone’s going to come out of it feeling hard done by so whatever will be will be."

East Preston play in the Premier division and boss Lee Baldwin said: "Whatever decision is made there will be teams unhappy with it and teams that will be happy with the outcome.

"I look at our league and there’s three or four sides that have a real chance of winning the league,down the bottom there’s sides in and around each other so it’s a difficult call.

"We’ve got two of the top four to play and after that it’s all the sides in and around us so we’d have been very confident of picking up a lot more points.

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"For me it’s not ideal what’s so ever but the season has to be void and things stay as they are which is sad for us as we had a semi final to look forward to.

"I feel for the sides going for the league and I also feel for Littlehampton in league below as they’ve been so dominant in the league below they deserve to come up. I honestly haven’t discussed anything with the players as there’s been far more important things to focus on at the moment over football but I’d like to think the boys will all stick together add a few more and have a right good go

Worthing United manager Danny Wood said: "As we are currently mid table the termination of the league season doesn’t really effect us.

"We as a group (management, players, committee) would of loved to of seen out our remaining seven games and personally I would want to finish my first season as a senior manager playing the full compliment of fixtures.

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"No matter what each league decides PPG or void it will not suit everyone. There will be some happy and some disappointed either way.

"Perhaps the FA should of taken it out of their hands and made the decision themselves. As for us, after talking to the lads they have all told me they are buzzing to get back to it and hungry to carry on the good work we have started this season."

Wick manager Terry Dodd said: "Personally I think they should deem it a void season, in my opinion it’s the fairest way teams had ten,11 games left to play a lot can happen in that time.

"There’s been talk about a points per game average as well, if that happened it would see us get promoted which would be amazing but it would be tough on teams fighting for promotion/relegation that miss out because again a lot can happen in the remaining games. But it’s a crazy time at the minute so whatever the FA decide we’ll have to take it and go again next season."