Coronavirus: AFC Portchester boss Mick Catlin on tough calls ahead for FA decision-makers

Leagues up and down the country have been thrown into chaos following the blanket football ban in England in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Both the Premier League and EFL have announced matches will now be suspended until at least April 30.

However, it remains unclear whether teams in the non-league pyramid will kick a ball again this season.

Wessex League Premier outfit AFC Portchester are right in the mix for promotion and the chance of playing in the Southern League for the first time.

They sit third, nine points off leaders Alresford Town with two games in hand.

But with the uncertainty around the globe at present, Catlin remains at a loss as to whether his team will get the chance to continue their promotion push.

‘It’s frustrating but there’s nothing we can do,’ said the Royals boss.

‘The health of the people is more important than football.

‘We’ve just got to be sensible and hope that it eventually eases and we can get back to it.

‘It’s frustrating but there’s nothing we can do.

‘The longer it goes on I think they’ll probably have to finish the league and do it on a points-per-game ratio.

‘If it happened now, we’d probably finish third.

‘It’s probably the only fair way to do it if you can’t complete it.’

If the Wessex League was decided on a points-per-game basis, current leaders Alresford would be deemed champions (2.22 points per game so far) followed by Christchurch (2.19), Portchester (2.10) and AFC Stoneham (2.06).

Catlin admitted it would be cruel if the Royals had the chance of promotion snatched away from them in these unprecedented circumstances.

However, after what appears to be an extended break ahead for footballers, he acknowledges it could be hard for players to get back going this term.

‘That was the aim from day one (reaching the Southern League).

‘But we didn’t envisage entering something like this.

‘If they scrap it, whether they’ll sort out promotion and relegation or just start again, I honestly don’t know what the answer is.

‘It will be tough for the players.

‘But it’ll also be tough if you have to finish it then go straight into next season without any real break.

‘I know we’re going to have a break, but it won’t feel like a break.

‘Mentally, it’ll be quite tough.’