All clubs should be heard before decision on delaying season says AFC Fylde owner David Haythornthwaite

The league’s board is due to meet this Thursday to consider whether to kick-off behind closed doors after the Government shelved plans to allow spectators back into sports grounds next month amid an upsurge in coronavirus cases.

Fylde’s National League North campaign is due to start at home to Darlington on Tuesday, October 6, with a tie in the FA Cup’s second qualifying round three days earlier.

The Coasters are due to welcome Altrincham to Mill Farm on Saturday for their final warm-up fixture after defeating Longridge 2-1 last weekend (a scheduled match against a Salford City XI on Tuesday was cancelled).

However, plans have been thrown into the air by the latest Government restrictions, which left clubs facing the prospect of starting the season with no idea of when they will be able to bring in vital matchday revenue.

Fylde chairman Haythornthwaite is primarily concerned that all viewpoints are taken into account. He told The Gazette: “I have been trying to gauge opinion. There seems to be a hardcore who think we should not start and another camp that says we need to start because we have a commitment to players’ contracts.

“I’m campaigning to get every club’s views heard via a Zoom conference ahead of the board meeting and that’s proving difficult because the National League don’t know what to do. This has caught them by surprise and without a plan B.

“My feeling is that you have to consider the views of everyone and I’ll go with the majority. My personal view is that we should start with fans but I can see this one going to the last minute.”