Nicky Southall is backing calls from his old Bolton manager Sam Allardyce to halt the football season.

Allardyce has suggested a circuit-breaker to combat the rising number of Covid-19 cases.

And his words struck a chord with Dover assistant boss Southall, who played under the former England manager in the Premier League.

“Personally, I agree with Sam,” said Southall. “I think we should have a break.

“Obviously football’s been my life but there are bigger issues to look at than playing a game of football.

“When you can’t see your family - my parents are in Middlesbrough and I’ve not seen them since March - but you can mix with 23 players in a dressing room and opposition players, it’s crazy.

“I understand mental health issues and fans wanting to watch football but there’s mental health issues for staff and footballers as well in terms of the situation.

“We’ve just got to play football and you’re basically taking it one day at a time because you don’t know if you’re going to be playing the next game.

“You can’t plan, you can’t do video analysis, you can’t scout, it’s very difficult at the minute.”

Allardyce, back in in management at West Brom, spoke out after the Baggies’ 5-0 defeat by Leeds on Tuesday night.

At 66, he expressed fears for his health in the event of contracting Covid, and while the Premier League have no plans to stop, Southall believes his old boss was right to have his say.

“It takes someone like Big Sam to say something, 100 per cent,” said Southall.

“He’s not getting any younger, I saw Roy Hodgson, who’s in his 70s, talking about it the other day and Neil Warnock’s just come back from it.

“It’s worrying for older managers. It’s easier for the younger ones to get over it but you just don’t know because everyone’s different and everyone catches it in a different way.”

Dover are due at Dagenham this Saturday, and Southall added: “Personally, I think we should get this next round of games out the way and then maybe look at having two or three weeks off.

“The weather is generally pretty poor then anyway.

“I know we’ve got seven or eight games to play in January and if you stop it’s a matter of trying to fit them all in at the back end of the season, but you have to think of player welfare."

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