Decision expected today on non-league football season

The FA is expected to reveal later today what action it is taking over the football season for leagues between step three and six.
Step three to six clubs await news of the season from the FAStep three to six clubs await news of the season from the FA
Step three to six clubs await news of the season from the FA

And it looks almost certain they will confirm the season has been terminated.

There have been numerous meetings involving FA and league officials since Monday, when the government announced how and when sport could return as the country comes out of lockdown.

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PM Boris Johnson announced that outdoor sport could resume on March 29 but ruled that fans could not return to grounds before May 17 at the earliest.

With step three and four (Isthmian League level) clubs consistently having said they cannot operate without paying customers, that would appear to have dashed any lingering hopes there would be time to fit in enough games at that level to constitute a full season.

The boards of the Isthmian, Southern and Northern leagues had already expressed the view - before a clubs' survey conducted in January - that they felt the season at their level of the game should be terminated.

The FA has also been asked to consider proposals from Project Non League - which suggests using results from the two unfinished seasons to work out points-per-game tables and promote the teams who have shown over that time they deserve it.

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In Sussex this proposal would see teams including Worthing and Hastings promoted, but the concept is thought unlikely to be accepted.

There has been talk of some leagues staging late-season cup competitions to give fans and players something to look forward to if leagues are scrapped, but nothing has been confirmed as yet.

The FA told us it could not comment on whether there would be a statement, nor what - if there was one - what it would say.