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More on KentOnline
Faversham Town made a super start to the 2020/21 league campaign but even their chairman believes it’s best to null and void the season.
The Isthmian League side have played six games so far - unbeaten in all of them - but with no games since the end of October it seems likely that a decision will now be made to call the season off. It’s something Town chairman Paul Bennett would be in favour of.
Clubs across Kent, from Folkestone Invicta to Sittingbourne, have largely backed the notion of declaring the season null and void - something the Isthmian League would prefer.
Fixtures are currently suspended until March and all clubs were asked to submit their views to the league by last Friday.
Mr Bennett, who had Covid himself in December, said: “We don’t see the point in it continuing now and so our view is to just make it null and void.
“We have played six games, it had been a great start, but the likes of Sittingbourne have only played five. You might as well make it null and void.
“If we had played a few more games then there might have been a few clubs thinking we could continue it. But when you have only played five or six, and even for teams who have made a great start like ourselves, it just seems easier to cut it. Let’s not force the season, let’s restart.
“It was a great start for some but unfortunately it might be best to set the reset button and go again, and hope that everyone is fit and strong and we don’t lose any more people to this terrible virus.”
One of the ideas mooted was to merge the 2019/20 season into the current one, not something Mr Bennett was keen on.
Faversham would finish 15th in a combined table but East Grinstead, who were sitting bottom with one win in 26 when the 2019/20 season was scrapped, had made a super start to the current campaign.
The most likely scenario now is to begin a fresh season in August, with both the 2019/20 and 20/21 consigned to the dustbin.
As a club, Faversham is well equipped to continue. Mr Bennett, who has been chairman for the last two years, has overseen a reorganisation of the finances which leaves them with a solid foundation.
“We have to wait and see what the league come up with now, they have all the information so we’ll let them decide,” said Mr Bennett.
“We made changes at the club, a club I have been involved in since about 2006 as the main sponsor.
“We are financially sound now, obviously like everyone we can’t continue this path (without football), but we are okay.
“We are not sitting on hundred and thousands but we are in a strong position compared to other years.
“We were unbeaten on the field, our fanbase was increasing, it is just a shame it had to stop.”
Mr Bennett turned 60 this week and had to substitute a big holiday to Marbella with virtual drinks on Zoom.
He joked: “I might hold onto 59 for another year and celebrate it next year instead!
“The important thing is that we come through this safely. The virus completely wiped us out as a family for a few days, with terrible aching. I didn’t suffer so much with the breathing but lost my sense of taste and smell.
“On the football side I am just looking forward to the new season starting.
“Once we know for definite what is happening we can crack on with what we are doing at the ground, all the background stuff and getting the pitch ready for a new season.”
