AS EXPECTED at the end of last week the curtain was finally closed on the non-league season between Steps 3-6, but not with last year’s wording of `null and void’ but by the word `curtailed’ so the records are not scrubbed from the books.
More than 75% of the Trident clubs in seven divisions from the south coast to the extremes of Northumbria were in favour of stopping their campaigns if the season couldn’t restart by April 1 with crowds and hospitality.
The Pitching-In Northern Premier League’s chairman Mark Harris has said since the curtailment that his League is “extremely amenable” to a pyramid restructure that will see an eighth division at Step 4-Brighouse Town’s level-back on the table for next season, but says the mechanism must be robust so the legal eagles don’t swoop.
Ambitious clubs at Steps 5 and 6 are looking to move up but there is more to their `promotions’ than playing records. Some clubs would look at clubs nearer at hand the length and breadth of the country being put into this new division than having long and expensive journeys, while others and their spectators prefer variety and visiting new clubs.
Whether the Trident Leagues and the FA have time to sort out a new division for the 2021-22 season or it has to be work in progress for the 2022-2023 campaign remains to be seen.
In the meantime Town’s manager has called a Zoom meeting for all 12 clubs including his own for this coming Monday at 7pm to go through all the `nitty gritty’ to ensure there are no pitfalls for the competition, aired in recent weeks in Echo Sport, to commence on Tuesday, April 13.
The West Riding County FA have been notified and also the Northern Counties East League and North West Counties League from which the participating clubs will come.
All the clubs are hoping they will hear from the Prime Minister’s next Road Map statement on March 28 that they will then by the April start date be allowed to have a certain amount of spectators in and also be able to open their clubhouses. If there is no leeway until after the Elite Sport’s May 17 date for possible five figure crowds then the competition will not go ahead.
The curtailment of the non-league season from Steps 3-6 has also caused problems for ambitious referees hoping to move up the ladder. They need a minimum of ten reports to have been submitted to MOAS at the FA in the bowels of Wembley Stadium and a good majority are sat on eight and will probably have to write-off ambitions for this season.
In the meantime more work is being carried out by the club on the clubhouse and the hospitality suite in which the new club shop will also be sited, moving from the clubhouse. The main entrance off the terracing has also been neatly boarded up and will now see seating right along the wall. Entrance will be from the main walkway from the turnstiles which are also being moved to the outer perimeter fencing off the car park.
The floodlights are also due a lux lighting test in the next month with some maintenance work also on the pylon boxes.
Former players and team managers in their own rights at the club, namely Ray McLaughlin, Mark Booth, Tony Lyons, Darren Laycock, Barrie Fitzjohn and Barry Thomas have played a major part in moving thinks along in all weathers ready for a ground grading visit and also for when spectators are once more allowed in the Yorkshire Payments Stadium. The club is also indebted to former player and leading committeeman Chris Lister who has sponsored materials, vice-chairman Charlie Tolley and his company Andy Thornton’s Antiques and also Naylor Myers Ltd of Wakefield Road, Brighouse.
“Without our great team of volunteers and that also includes the likes of Trevor Priestley, Steve Ambler, Dave Rowland and Ellis Aked, we just couldn’t function at the professional and efficient level we do at this club, ” added Tolley.
Vice-chairman
