The Toolstation Northern Counties East League has asked member clubs to back them on their stance that the new season cannot start without spectators.
The vote closes on Wednesday.
The FA conference call brought no real new clarity on when the new season will start.
The only piece of fairly new information was that the FA’s proposal for allowing spectators into grounds is sitting in Downing Street awaiting approval.
With the provisional start date listed as September 5th, the NCEL sent an email out to their clubs on Monday night which said that they and other leagues believe the new season cannot start without spectators because of the potential financial implications.
Clubs were asked to vote on whether they supported that view.
It is expected the response will be overwhelming in favour of the league’s stand-point as it would be like turkeys voting Christmas if clubs voted the other way. You could argue the league shouldn’t need to ask the question.
Few, if any, clubs are likely to back playing competitive games behind closed doors given the prospect of paying player wages without any match-day income.
Unless there is a dramatic development regarding spectators very soon, it is likely the season start date will be moved back.
Whilst the spectators issue has received widespread coverage, the issues of travelling, changing rooms, potential lockdowns and team self-isolations and the feasibility of a 38-league game season do not go away.
Those five issues have been largely ignored.
Who from the FA deems a ground Covid-safe is another matter? Although clubs have had to produce risk assessments, will the league board have to visit all 40 clubs to personally rubber-stamp all documentation?
Should the goalposts move and spectators are suddenly to attend so September 5th receives the go-ahead, that does not leave a lot of time to prepare if clubs have loose ends.
The North West Counties have taken a completely different approach with their chairman Paul Lawlor acting as a real figurehead with regular public statements. The North West have already eased the anxieties of their clubs by moving their provisional start date to 3rd October.
All the NCEL board’s fairly pointless vote does is continue the uncertainty and it is another day where the opportunity to make a key decision passes.