Luke Forgione admits Worsbrough Bridge are still in “limbo” despite the curtailment of the Toolstation NCEL Division One season.
Because the FA have retained the records of the 2020/21 campaign and have promised to “revisit” the plan to restructure Steps 4 to 6, Worsbrough’s future is uncertain.
Although Forgione has overseen an upturn in form since taking charge after four games into the season, Bridge have ‘finished’ in one of the relegation places.
So rather than settle anxieties, the FA statement has prolonged them for Worsbrough.
“We’re in a limbo situation because we don’t know our future as for some reason they want to keep the records for this season,” Forgione told Non League Yorkshire.
“We’re in the dark as we’re not 100% sure what is going on.
“There’s murmurs of a restructure. We’re not sure what that holds for us.
“Selby are bottom of the league and they only played six games. What does it mean for them? Us finishing second bottom. What does it mean for us?
“Then I’ve seen stuff on Twitter from Matt (Jones) the secretary of the NCEL and he’s suggested there’ll be no relegation, but possibly promotion.
“There needs to be a proper statement and proper clarity.
“There’s no definitive end for us. I don’t think the people at the higher end of the game who make these decisions understand the impact it has on the likes of ourselves.
“It means a lot to you and because there’s no clarity it is playing on the mind.
“Anybody who is in a mid-table position I suppose can relax and look forward to what comes up in the near future.
“But for us, until we know what our future holds this limbo position is not a great position to be in.”
Forgione was also one of many who were bemused by the wording of the FA statement.
“I was speaking to the chairman (Mark Booth) on the night about what a curtailment actually means,” he said.
“We had to search for a definition! What a curtailment means to one person might something different to someone else so we were laughing about it.
“It didn’t help either when the NCEL posted out that it was null and void and then retracted their statement.
“It is funny because before the FA statement came out someone said ‘expect a statement about a statement’ because we were sure it wouldn’t clarify everything. And we’re in a situation where there is no clarity for us.”
The NCEL board are due to meet tonight (Friday) to discuss potentially organising a League Cup tournament in April – restrictions permitting.
Forgione would support it.
“As long as it is safe, yes,” he said.
“The bigger picture is that everyone has been in lockdown for three months and it is important that there is something for people to look forward to.
“Whether that’s a four or six weeks tournament.
“The social side is just as important as the physical side of playing football.
“I am all for playing games if financially it doesn’t put any stress on the club and is safe to do so.
“I think everyone would as it is a big part of people’s lives and everyone has missed it.”
Whilst their league status is unclear, Forgione believes Worsbrough have a positive future with a band of exciting young stars at the forefront.
“I think we have got a crop of good young lads and we’re going to add some older heads in the summer,” he said.
“We have young lads who are motivated and are striving to go higher in the game.
“I think there will be clubs looking at them.
“These lads will come back motivated and have that desire to push on.
“If we do go into a League Cup competition we can use that as an opportunity to see where we are and what we need to do to improve for next season.”
If you have enjoyed reading Non League Yorkshire over the past few months, please consider making a donation to the not-for-profit organisation NLY Community Sport which provides sport for children and adults with disabilities and learning difficulties. CLICK HERE to visit the JustGiving page. There is a video at the bottom of the page showing our work.
NLY Community Sport, run by James Grayson and Connor Rollinson, has always had combatting social isolation at the top of our objectives when running our Disability Football teams. When we properly return to ‘action’, our work will play an important role in reintroducing our players, who have disabilities and learning difficulties, back into society.
We have six teams, a mixture of Junior and Adult teams – Nostell MW DFC, Pontefract Pirates, Selby Disability Football Club and the South Yorkshire Superheroes (Barnsley) – across Yorkshire.
We have enjoyed great success over the past three years. Several of our players have represented Mencap GB in Geneva, including Billy Hobson from Selby and Greg Smith, whose story is quite inspiring.
You can learn more about the organisation HERE and on our Facebook page.
Watch the video below to see highlights from our three years as an organisation. The video was produced for our players at the end of March to remind them of good memories from the last three years.