AFC Fylde's management look forward to a matchday reunion

National League North is due to resume after a two-week suspension but with a vote under way on whether to scrap the season and declare it null and void.

Tomorrow’s home clash with struggling Guiseley is scheduled to be the first of five in 15 days for the Coasters, though Fylde owner David Haythornthwaite believes the outcome of the vote will be known before his side’s visit to Chester on Tuesday.

The National League are adamant that fixtures must continue until the voting is complete and nobody is more eager for tomorrow’s Fylde match to go ahead than manager Bentley.

The Coasters boss is looking forward to attending his first game since heart surgery on December 1, having made several visits to the training ground over the past fortnight.

Number two Chadwick will remain in charge on the touchline and told The Gazette: “Jim should be back in a limited capacity. He will watch the game from the stands but his presence alone will give everyone a lift.”

Fylde are firmly in favour of continuing the season. Opponents Guiseley are among 16 National League clubs (10 of them from NL North) to have signed a joint statement expressing a willingness to play fixtures, provided both competing teams agree and fully-funded Covid testing is in place.

Some clubs are reluctant to play until the results of the vote are known, and Chadwick says he and his players just want the matter resolved as soon as possible.

He added: “I think it is positive that things have been brought to a head. The league are keen for votes to come in quickly and we can only implore people to get their votes in, then hopefully our season can continue.

“An email has come round from the league stating that football must resume on Saturday and we can only follow the official line, but it’s important that the National League takes control of this situation.

“To be fair, the league have taken great strides forward to provide testing and to offer alternatives with all the financial issues. The bottom line is that we are professional clubs in an elite competition and we should be playing.

“There are clubs in our league with a different opinion. There’s a decision to be made and the sooner this mess is cleared up, the better.

“I feel sorry for our fans, who will be missing the games as much as we are, but there is a wider issue in terms of people’s jobs, health and the whole community.”

Third-placed Fylde have not played for four weeks, though a third successive win tomorrow would lift them within four points of leaders Gloucester City, and still with two games in hand.

Guiseley, meanwhile, have slipped into the bottom three after three successive 1-0 defeats, though Chadwick concedes form is meaningless after such a lengthy break.

But he praised his players’ attitude at a difficult time, adding: “All we can do is prepare thoroughly and professionally for a busy period of games.

“We’ve kept the players up to date and been as transparent as possible. They have trained well in the two weeks we’ve been back (since a week of isolation following positive Covid tests).

“We’ve worked them hard and there is a real desire among the group. They have paid full attention to the Guiseley game and are well prepared.”

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