Steeton will kick off the new season with a trip to newly-promoted Bury AFC.
Bury are a splinter club formed by supporters of Bury FC who were kicked out of the Football League last year. Although the original club have yet to fold, fans have gone their own way and turned their backs on the club’s owner Steve Dale.
The North West Counties Division One North match is scheduled to be played on Saturday 3rd October. Shelley will host AFC Liverpool and Golcar United are on the road to Cleator Moor Celtic.
The North West Counties clubs at least have a clue what is planned for them. Their season is due to finish on Saturday 15th May 2021.
The NCEL are yet to release their fixtures beyond the end of September – said to be because of Albion Sports’ ground-share agreement with National North Farsley Celtic, whose fixtures are revealed this week.
With midweek games expected to be plastered all over October, shift-working NCEL players are going to have little notice if they need to change shifts.
It adds to the farce Step 3-6 clubs are involved in which has now seen Bottesford Town forced to suspend their football activities following a player testing positive for Covid-19. Bottesford could be forced to forfeit their FA Cup tie at Long Eaton because of it.
Liversedge and Emley are also having to play behind closed doors at home because of lockdown restrictions in Kirklees. That creates potential problems if it is extended beyond the 19th and the NCEL’s stance on not allowing league games to be played behind closed doors remains in place.
All starting to look messy, aint it? I get the thing about not wanting conflicting events on, but I would think if needs be, the 20-21 season will finish staggered – like in pre -PL days when teams found out they were promoted wks after they had finished playing. If Garforth get finished by mid April, but Liversedge need to play into June ’21, then so be it. Even if the Euros are on by then.