Grass-roots football teams' training ban is ridiculous

The Rooks manager understands why non-elite football matches have to stop, in line with fans not being able to attend.

But he questions why clubs like his cannot get together for training – when teams one step up, at Eastbourne Borough’s level, still can.

Langton fears it will lead to another episode of clubs being asked to swing back into competitive action without having had proper training sessions in the lead-up – which he says will result in more injuries.

In line with all clubs at non-league step three and below, Lewes are banned from playing or training now until December 2, when the current restrictions are due to be lifted.

Langton is not happy about it. He told the Sussex Express: “There are massive inconsistencies.

“I understand why we can’t play matches – at our level it doesn’t work without paying fans, and there is not the finance at our level to cover the loss of those fans.

“But what I find hard to take is that Eastbourne Borough or Tonbridge Angels, for example, can train as normal – and we can’t.

“What’s the difference? We can and would do temperature checks, as so-called elite clubs would, and can take all the same precautions, yet we can’t train – not at all.

“All clubs are our level are being careful and anyone with symptoms is kept away.

“I don’t know what the reasoning is in us not being allowed to meet for training, but I wish they’d come out and explain it.”

Langton said football’s restart – which could come on Saturday, December 5 – would be a joke if it involved teams playing again without having built up to it through training.

“The number of injuries will go through the roof and there will be all sorts of inconsistencies in results,” he added.

Lewes will have one competition less to worry about when they return after a 3-1 loss at Lowestoft in the FA Trophy (see a match report at

sussexexpress.co.uk).

“No complaints, we were beaten by the better team. We’ve done well recently but need to look at what we didn’t do so well in this game and learn from it, which we will,” Langton said.