The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

The Southern League have now produced a more detailed statement, with a definite air of realism about what might happen.

https://southern-football-league.co.uk/ ... -Statement

The reference to an earliest restart in January has interesting phrasing "It is the hope of all the Leagues that a date in January can be set for a return to fixtures with Clubs who wish being allowed to play before that date but this will not be until there is a change in the Tiers and/or some progress in the funding of the Clubs at this level." I thought it was about to give a green light for some ad hoc league fixtures over the holiday period, particularly hosted by clubs in tier 2, but it can be read that there is the need to have progress on funding beforehand - which would then makes this less likely.

It looks like there is a chance of a return to football fairly soon given the latest concession - https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/dec/10/ ... r-3-101220

The three leagues at Step 3/4 seem to be taking an age to provide any kind of indication of what the FA announcement might mean to them - or even to indicate when they might make any kind of statement about it. They all dutifully published the FA statement on Thursday, and not a peep since. I'm sure things are going on behind the scenes, but surely a simple statement would be reasonable in the short term, to either say they are considering the implications, or that they are going to wait until after the Tier revisions on 16th before anything is announced.

Next review 9th January looks like.

https://southern-football-league.co.uk/ ... FQ.twitter

"The Board has not yet set a formal re-start date but this is unlikely to be before the 9th January 2021 and the Clubs will be given at least 10 days’ notice of the recommencement of the 2020/21 season allowing them preparation time to stage League matches."

Given that a full on, nationwide, post-Christmas lockdown is inevitable, I can't see us playing again before February at the very earliest.