Why Bexhill United are left wondering 'What if?'

Bexhill manager Ryan Light / Picture: Old Town Photography

Bexhill United boss Ryan Light has been left thinking ‘what if?’ after the Southern Combination League announced plans for an end-of-season cup competition.

The league season was ended by the FA last week after a majority of clubs said it was not viable to play the campaign to a finish.

The Pirates topped division one of the SCFL after 11 games when the season ground to a halt. And Light said: “Our initial thoughts were that if we can play a cup competition then surely we could have got at least 66 per cent of the league games played and completed the 20/21 season from there, using a points per game average – which was one of the options given to clubs in the survey.

“Obviously we had a vested interest in thinking this way, being top of the league. But I do understand that would have been difficult for the SCFL board to impose after the majority of teams voted null and void as their preferred option.

“We’ve heard that a cup competition could be confirmed by the league and if it is announced, of course we look forward to being part of it. We are a football club that’s hungry to play football, whatever the competition.”

Bexhill are one of the sides who could benefit from promotion in an FA shake-up of steps four (Isthmian south-east level) to six (SCFL division one), although this is a long way from being agreed.

Light said it was too soon to be thinking about next season’s squad but said: “Any player recruitment we look to do will be dictated by what league we are in and we are still awaiting news of any proposed re-structure of the non league pyramid from the FA.

“We aren’t a club that during my time has made wholesale changes from season to season.”

Little Common also hope to play in an SCFL cup tournament.

Chairman Dan Eldridge said: “We have expressed our interest in the supplementary cup competition but I think this will be reliant upon whether spectators will be allowed to attend matches.

"It will be very difficult for clubs to cover their costs if there are no spectators. The league are doing all that they can to provide some extra football for clubs but are mindful this may be tricky with no refreshments and spectators allowed.”