“End season immediately” says North Wales football clubs’ campaigner

Football clubs campaigner Chris O’Neal will call for an immediate end to the 2019-20 North Wales season on Friday.

Mr O’Neal will represent Bangor City’s management team in an online meeting between the Football Association of Wales and Tier 2 clubs, of which the Citizens are one, playing in Cymru North.

The main item on the agenda is expected to be what will be done with the remainder of the current campaign.

No ball has been kicked in Welsh domestic soccer since early March due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

Anglesey-based Mr O’Neal, who is currently assisting Prestatyn Town in their bid to get a Tier 1 licence refusal overturned, believes now is the time to write off the 2019-20 campaign and will propose this at Friday’s meeting.

He said: “The reason I’m calling for an end to the season is, currently the players of teams are stuck in limbo land. They can’t train, they can’t practice, they physically can do not much with this pandemic ongoing and the restrictions.

“To try to restart this season in my opinion will be a failure, and I believe the majority of clubs would agree.

“If we were to break now, have a good pre-season, could we shift the playing season to become more of a summer league ?

“The clubs themselves have already faced financial impact due to lack of income, to restart now with massive social distancing regulations in place would have a further severe financial impact on the clubs but I don’t think we are prepared enough to allow players, officials and staff close enough to allow football here in Wales.”

On the question of winning trophies, promotion and relegation, Mr O’Neal added: “My opinion is to promote those on PPG (points-per-game) basis, but not to relegate any teams from any league.

“In 2020-21, we could undertake a season with too many clubs in each league, but set the relegation zone straight up from the first date so everyone is given a fair opportunity.”