Horsham boss tells FA: Give us the plan... if there is one

That’s the view of Horsham FC boss Dom Di Paola as he calls on the FA to get to grips with a season that has turned into a chaotic one.

He spoke out as the Isthmian League, in which the Hornets play in the premier division, continued the pause it has had in place since November 5. And with no sign of any lockdown tiers vbeing eased in the south-east, a restart still feels a little way away. Di Paola said he, his players and the clubs wanted to know the FA’s thinking.

“We should be told what’s going on so we can try and plan – or be told that there’s no plans to be doing absolutely anything at the moment,” said Di Paola. “Football clubs have got no source of income at the moment, so it’s proving a major headache, one that I don’t think as usual the FA has pulled through.”

Di Paola is not keen on talk of the season being extended into the summer if the shutdown goes on much longer.

His squad was badly hit by injuries at the start of the season and he fears that could happen again.

“I’m not willing to go into June or July, it’s pointless,” he told us. “You’re playing games and then going straight back into another season, players are going to want holidays and things like that. Players that have contracts are going to be out of contract by the end of April.

“We were hammered with injuries at the beginning of the season, but now we’re pretty much back to full fitness, which is good but could be for nothing if we don’t end up playing.”

Di Paola feels the FA have been slow to give a helping hand to clubs at Isthmian League level and below.

“They (the FA) have never been particularly clear on giving guidance, I think that’s the problem. I don’t understand how you can have all different leagues doing all sorts of different things which seems to be the case at the moment,” he said.

“There are some leagues that are carrying on, there are some that are obviously on a temporary hold.

“I don’t understand how the league above, for example, were doing no testing with their players but were allowed to carry on playing and yet we’re stuck unable to play... I don’t really get it.

“But there’s a lot that I don’t particularly get. I think at some stage the FA as the governing body have to step in and overrule the leagues and tell everyone what’s going on.”