Grassroots football leagues end season following virus halt

Most grassroots and youth leagues involving clubs in West Norfolk have voided their seasons because of the coronavirus crisis, following talks with the Norfolk County FA.

The move, announced by the county body today, follows the controversial decision to expunge results from division in steps 3 to 7 of the non-league pyramid, which was upheld last week.

The announcement covers competitions including the Hadley & Ottaway Anglian Combination and the RB Trucks North West Norfolk League.

But one competition, the Norfolk Combined Youth Football League, which involves teams from clubs in Mundford, Feltwell and Fakenham among others, have decided to calculate final positions using a points per game formula.

The Norfolk FA said in a statement that individual league committees had been given the choice of expunging all results or deciding positions, and promotions and relegations, by the points per game route.

They continued: "Whilst ideally, we would have liked every league to have chosen the same option, we absolutely respect and support each league in the decision that they have made, which in each case is the one that the respective league committee feels is the best for their competition.

"This has been a very challenging process for everybody involved and each league’s management committee, who are all volunteers within the game, would have given very careful consideration to all the factors involved.

"Over the course of the season the Norfolk football community have played, coached, officiated and volunteered in the sport we all love and to have to end the season with either option is not the outcome anybody would have wanted."

In a post on its own Twitter feed, the Anglian Combination said its officials felt they had "no choice" but to void results because of the FA's earlier decision.