Harefield United chairman Gary South has spoken of the need to put football on the back foot in times of ‘real uncertainty', but realises the financial predicament the club is now in also.

The FA announced yesterday afternoon that all non-league football from steps three to six are cancelled, with the 2019-20 season expunged in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

All promotion and relegation between the steps, including promotion to step two, will now be scrapped, also applying to step seven football.

The decision has inevitably split opinions of fans and clubs up and down the footballing ladder, but South has spoken of the importance of the wider societal priorities outside of football.

‘With everything else that is going on, football just isn’t important right now,’ commented South.

‘We all knew the season was over, but my immediate reaction was one of relief.’

Before and after the statement was put out by The FA, there were calls for the season to be decided by a points per game system, given that most of the season had already been played out.

The system, which is the average number of points picked up by a club per game over the course of a whole season, may yet be implemented in other leagues around the countries as discussions at football’s headquarters on how to finish the season continue.

‘I don’t really see it has to be decided, the season won’t finish so I don’t believe a points per game system will help,’ stated the chairman.

‘With plenty of games left anything could have happened, teams can go on a good and bad run, get in and out of trouble, we’ll never know.

Harefield sat 15th in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division before yesterday’s expungement, and were unlikely to have been affected by promotion or relegation from step five of the National League System.

Nonetheless, a possible restructuring of the system that would have benefited the Hares when they took to the field next season, will now take place from the 2021-22 season.

‘It’s no secret that we felt the season was pointless not knowing what we were playing for once it became clear we would finish mid table.’

The proposed restructuring would have more than likely seen more local away visits for the club after being placed in a league with teams more orientated in the west London and Thames Valley area.

‘They could still do it if they wanted, but the powers that be fudged the issue all along.

‘We wouldn’t have known their plans for our future until well after the season had finished anyway.

Away trips on the road to teams as far as Bedfordshire would create a taxing effect on player and manager’s schedules, often with fixtures being postponed.

‘The important thing now is for everyone to stay safe, follow guidelines and pray that we’re all here to start pre season whenever that will be.’

The vocal and ever present symbiotic ambitions across the club was that, even at the season’s halfway point, that a finish inside the top third of the table was attainable.

But is there an overall sense of futility retrospectively in regards to a season that now never was?

‘I don’t see it as a season wasted, we’ve had highs and lows like any other year, played some good games, forged a good team spirit throughout the club and had fun along the way.’

South also recalls a positive worth remembering that technically speaking, The Hares’ unbeaten run to a double remains intact and unchallenged.

‘Well, we’re still Division One Champions and Middlesex Premier Cup holders for a start, our Under 18’s stood a good chance of winning their league and will return a year older next time out.’

The under 18’s were going from strength to strength under Derick McCorkell‘s guidance, two points clear at the peak of their Allied Counties Youth Football League, hosting players such as 16-goal Hekmat Alizai that are sure to break into the first time in the coming seasons.

No doubt the question on everyone’s minds associated with the club and football fans in general, is the financial limbo that many clubs were left in prior to yesterday’s announcement, and how these clubs will keep afloat.

‘The club has no income right now, we have written to our landlords asking for rent waivers but it is a period of real uncertainty.’

As South explains, the club has faced similar adversity in the past and overcome such situations.

‘Our bar manager is out of work, as are his part time staff, and we hope they can all get through these troubled times.

‘As a club we’ve had financial difficulties before and I hope we can pull through this but we will have to cut our cloth accordingly once things restart.’