What does this mean for the SSML? and non league ⚽?

[Rhodes]

Who can recall football sock numbers back in the day, it was a fad wasn't it and started by Leeds I believe:

[petethegreek]

21 hours ago, Karen Browne said:

The other three are Division One clubs

STOP PRESS

Another Premier Division club has requested a late entry

Is it Edgware Town?

[Rhodes]

24 minutes ago, petethegreek said:

Is it Edgware Town?

PetetheGreek - Very droll, GRS67 won't see the funny side of that when he comes on later. Do you think you will be approached to Officiate on some of the Cup competition ties that Karen is busy arranging, Harefield United, London Lions and Rayners Lane would suit you. 

[petethegreek]

On 20/03/2021 at 15:41, Rhodes said:

PetetheGreek - Very droll, GRS67 won't see the funny side of that when he comes on later. Do you think you will be approached to Officiate on some of the Cup competition ties that Karen is busy arranging, Harefield United, London Lions and Rayners Lane would suit you. 

Referees were asked recently for their availability and I have given some open dates. 

[GRS67]

On 20/03/2021 at 15:11, petethegreek said:

Is it Edgware Town?

No I can confim it's not us. 

[Rhodes]

GRS67 - Did you listen to Ollie Bayliss's BBC Three Counties Radio Non League Show yesterday afternoon, it was strange because Edgware Town were mentioned to say that Edgware Town were not the eleventh Club competing in the end of season Cup competition, how did Ollie know that and why bother mentioning it at all.

[Rhodes]

Reading between the lines we may as well just forget about the 2021/22 campaign too rather than get our hopes up:

Britain must brace for another wave of Coronavirus infections being imported from Europe as cases rise on the continent, the Prime Minister has warned.

Boris Johnson said he expected the third wave of Covid-19 infections, seen in countries such as France and Italy, to “wash up on our shores as well”.

But Mr Johnson said he did not think the European Union wanted to block vaccine exports from reaching the UK, following suggestions Brussels could stop supplies from crossing the Channel amid struggles with its own rollout.

Speaking to broadcasters at BAE Systems in Lancashire on Monday, Mr Johnson said: “I’ve talked to our (European) friends repeatedly over the period – we’re all facing the same pandemic, we all have the same problems.

“If there is one thing that is worth stressing it’s that on the continent right now you can see sadly there is a third wave under way.

People in this country should be under no illusions that previous experience has taught us that when a wave hits our friends, it washes up on our shores as well.

I expect that we will feel those effects in due course.

That’s why we’re getting on with our vaccination programme as fast as we can but a vaccination campaign and developing vaccines, rolling them out – these are international projects and they require international co-operation.”

His comments come after several regions in France, including Paris, spent their first weekend under a limited month-long lockdown.

Boris Johnson warns UK to expect another wave of Covid - Surrey Live (getsurrey.co.uk)

Edited March 22, 2021 by Rhodes

[petethegreek]

45 minutes ago, Rhodes said:

GRS67 - Did you listen to Ollie Bayliss's BBC Three Counties Radio Non League Show yesterday afternoon, it was strange because Edgware Town were mentioned to say that Edgware Town were not the eleventh Club competing in the end of season Cup competition, how did Ollie know that and why bother mentioning it at all.

Do you think Ollie read my post and made enquiries?

[GRS67]

15 hours ago, petethegreek said:

Do you think Ollie read my post and made enquiries?

No I didn't but that's rather odd especially given he 'liked' "the tweet I posted regarding our friendly fixtures.. 

What's the point of a eleventh club it'll mean that if they in intended to have two groups of 5 will be lob sided now.. Interesting how the SSML haven't come out and said how the formant of this micky mouse competitive will be played. 

 

[Karen Browne]

39 minutes ago, GRS67 said:

What's the point of a eleventh club it'll mean that if they in intended to have two groups of 5 will be lob sided now.. Interesting how the SSML haven't come out and said how the formant of this micky mouse competitive will be played. 

 

Zoom meeting held last night and full details on sponsorship, trophies, rules and fixtures will be announced in due course.

[Rhodes]

17 hours ago, Rhodes said:

Reading between the lines we may as well just forget about the 2021/22 campaign too rather than get our hopes up

Confirmation that we will no doubt just get under way again in July with the pre-season friendlies when the third wave will hit:

Third Covid wave will engulf UK in JULY as we unlock and Covid infects the unvaccinated, expert warns (thesun.co.uk)

Round Three - Third Covid wave will engulf UK in JULY as we unlock and Covid infects the unvaccinated, expert warns

[Savagebee]

3 hours ago, Rhodes said:

 

Round Three - Third Covid wave will engulf UK in JULY as we unlock and Covid infects the unvaccinated, expert warns

You can still catch and spread Covid-19 even if you have had one of the many Vaccines now available.

3 weeks to flatten the curve and here we are ONE year later ? 

Next season will be another mess at this rate im afraid.

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by Savagebee

[Rhodes]

Updated Government guidance, issued today, on the return of grassroots sport, it's makes for depressing reading:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): grassroots sports guidance for the public and sport providers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What you should do (when spectators are permitted):

• It is important that spectators adhere to the legal gathering limits. In addition to being legal requirements punishable by fines, those violating the measures are endangering public safety and undermining the case for safe sport to be allowed to continue to take place.

• Spectators should minimise shouting or raising their voices. There is an additional risk of infection where people are shouting or singing in close proximity to others (particularly indoors or when face-to face).

[Rhodes]

Not to be confused with the FA guidance posted yesterday, here is an updated version based on the very latest Government advice available and applying to all outdoor adult and youth football, Futsal and all formats of the grassroots game ahead of Monday 29 March. There is also some information on funding and financial support available to Club's:

FA guidance for outdoor grassroots football return on 29 March 2021 (thefa.com)

We can provide an update on the return of outdoor grassroots football and support available to clubs across the grassroots football community.

Edited March 24, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 19/03/2021 at 11:42, Rhodes said:

I gather the seven Premier Division Club's competing in the Cup competition are Biggleswade United, Baldock Town, Colney Heath, Dunstable Town, Leverstock Green, Newport Pagnell Town and Harefield United, the three Club's from Division One are Shefford Town & Campton, London Lions and Rayners Lane

So the mysterious eleventh Club are Aylesbury Vale Dynamos then

[Rhodes]

On 23/02/2021 at 16:37, Rhodes said:

Ollie Bayliss has today submitted a new Freedom of Information (FoI) request to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) following the rejection of his earlier one

Ollie Bayliss has finally received a response from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to his Freedom of Information (FoI) request concerning the National League grants and loans fiasco but what a 'whitewash', it's laughable isn't it:

Edited March 26, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 20/02/2021 at 18:26, Rhodes said:

If Dover Athletic maintain their stance of not playing until funding is provided, that will surely lead to a raft of charges from the League; we already know that the ultimate sanction under the relevant rule is expulsion from the competition. In that scenario, it's entirely possible that Dover would find themselves at Step 5, as there aren't currently any vacancies at Step 3 and the decision of the North & South Divisions to be declared null and void surely means that the divisions below will follow suit.

I can't see how the National League can enforce fines for their North and South Club's if the season has been declared null and void, it's different for Dover Athletic being in the National League and I wonder what's going to happen to the Club now, their Chairman Jim Parmenter isn't going to take their £40,000 fine and twelve point deduction for next season lying down. There are some interesting views on another Forum:

17 National League clubs have been fined a total of around £100,000 for failing to fulfil fixtures. Clubs have publicly expressed their 'shock', 'dismay' & 'disgust' at the decisions of the independent panel.

Time To Stop National League Games? | Page 23 | NonLeagueMatters Forums

Dover Athletic: National League club hit with fine, points deduction and results expunged - BBC Sport

Dover Athletic fined £40,000, 2020/21 record expunged and 12-point deduction for next season as 18 clubs charged for breaking National League rules - The Non-League Football Paper

Edited March 27, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

On 27/03/2021 at 12:18, Rhodes said:

I can't see how the National League can enforce fines for their North and South Club's if the season has been declared null and void

It's 'criminal', to put it mildly, to fine Club's huge amounts of money for a season that has been null and voided, no wonder they are calling for a vote of no confidence in the National League who obviously had the three man Independent Panel 'in their pocket' seeing as they were commissioned by the National League. You also have to have sympathy with Dover Athletic who stood firm by their decision not to continue unlike Kings Lynn Town who meekly changed their minds and continued playing, also Chairman Jim Parmenter resigning from the League's Board had a lot to do with the Club's heavy-handed treatment and stating the League ‘has very little credibility as an organisation within our Club's’:

Dover Athletic chairman Jim Parmenter: "We won't be paying the fine, we'll be taking legal action. They know we've got no money. They know we've done this to prevent the club becoming insolvent & yet they've fined us £40,000 which will push us into insolvency."

National League Statement - Club Charges - King's Lynn Town FC (kltown.co.uk)

Edited March 29, 2021 by Rhodes

[Rhodes]

I still don't think we should be getting our hopes up about the start to the 2021/22 campaign:

Threat of third Covid wave is real as South African variant ravages Europe, leading expert warns (thesun.co.uk)

THE SOUTH African Covid variant threatens to cause a third wave in the UK, a leading expert has warned.

[Rhodes]

On 29/03/2021 at 13:10, Rhodes said:

I still don't think we should be getting our hopes up about the start to the 2021/22 campaign

It looks like we are going to be back to square one in late July/early August doesn't it:

Third Covid wave 'is likely to hit this summer' | Daily Mail Online

The third wave of the virus is projected to peak in late July to early August.