Non-League in a Pandemic

All things unofficial about AFC Rushden & Diamonds and general football talk.
Formic
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by Formic »

Now that Step 2 has been declared Null and Void it looks likely the steps below will follow suit. Would it would be better to just defer the rest of the campaign and then create a combined 2020-22 season, finishing from where we left off? That will be a decision for the League Board. That would give more contingency for the remainder of the combined season, allowing all of the League games to take place on a Saturday (with the revenue benefits that brings). It would allow the other cups to function as normal unless further games are lost due to outbreaks next winter.
Dazzler
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by Dazzler »

Formic wrote: Fri Feb 19, 2021 10:31 am Now that Step 2 has been declared Null and Void it looks likely the steps below will follow suit. Would it would be better to just defer the rest of the campaign and then create a combined 2020-22 season, finishing from where we left off? That will be a decision for the League Board. That would give more contingency for the remainder of the combined season, allowing all of the League games to take place on a Saturday (with the revenue benefits that brings). It would allow the other cups to function as normal unless further games are lost due to outbreaks next winter.
Yes, I wondered if this was a good option especially as you say trying to reduce midweek matches at least for league games.

I'd call it "A season of two halves".

(Aside I still remember the grief at the old club though when the 5050 half time draw got renamed to "a game of two halves"... Exactly the same thing, different name. I think it reverted back to 5050 once the pre-printed tickets were used up.)
Phil-the-Diamond
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by Phil-the-Diamond »

I think I would rather just write this season off and start afresh.

I get the thing about playing games on Saturdays, but I would have thought that a few more games would make up for it.
Formic
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by Formic »

Phil-the-Diamond wrote: Sat Feb 20, 2021 10:34 am I think I would rather just write this season off and start afresh.

I get the thing about playing games on Saturdays, but I would have thought that a few more games would make up for it.
Clearly there would be more revenue from a full season with all the potential cup games, but it's rather dispiriting to find that for two seasons running the games have meant nothing - especially given the awful record in the FA Competitions. The risk of a third incomplete season is something that needs to be carefully managed. At the very least the League must announce an approach up front to avoiding that.
Formic
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by Formic »

It looks like Grassroots football will be possible again from 29th March. That's obviously too late to salvage very much, especially given the length of the stoppage, but maybe the odd friendly during April if enough players / staff / volunteers are up for it?
therushden
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by therushden »

Think I've still got a Tamworth ticket. I take it refunds will be given as and when the league situation is known
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Formic
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by Formic »

therushden wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:40 pm Think I've still got a Tamworth ticket. I take it refunds will be given as and when the league situation is known
There is a reference to discussions about that in the Chairman's update published last night - https://www.afcdiamonds.com/chairmans-update/

Hopefully another one will follow hot on its heels once the Southern League have reacted to the statements of yesterday afternoon.
sussexdiamond
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by sussexdiamond »

therushden wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:40 pm Think I've still got a Tamworth ticket. I take it refunds will be given as and when the league situation is known
I read last week tha 80% of season ticket holders at EFL clubs have said they will not ask for a refund.
Formic
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by Formic »

sussexdiamond wrote: Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:24 am
therushden wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:40 pm Think I've still got a Tamworth ticket. I take it refunds will be given as and when the league situation is known
I read last week tha 80% of season ticket holders at EFL clubs have said they will not ask for a refund.
Assuming you read the same story in the Daily Mail as I did, it was another example of them telling part of a story. The clubs have offered their fans various options, including deferring their season ticket to the 2021/22 season - e.g. https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2020/s ... 21-season/ - which might mean they are regarded as not taking a refund, but will affect ongoing cashflow. Others were offered refunds at the stage it appeared there might be some return for fans in late 2020 onwards - which only happened for a short period in some cases.

In other cases the clubs are yet to decide what to do about refunds for 2020/21, but there are references to their fans waiving their right to a refund for the end of the 2019/20 season, not the current campaign.

Some clubs saw the provision of a streaming service to season ticket holders for free as an offset to the season ticket price, others didn't.
Phil-the-Diamond
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Re: Non-League in a Pandemic

Post by Phil-the-Diamond »

Formic wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 12:24 pm It looks like Grassroots football will be possible again from 29th March. That's obviously too late to salvage very much, especially given the length of the stoppage, but maybe the odd friendly during April if enough players / staff / volunteers are up for it?
Would that need to be without spectators until 17th May?

We need to remember these are earliest dates.
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