Hampshire Premier League officials looking at a ‘one team plays each other once season’ with promotion and relegation

At present, with the suspension of 'non-elite' football during the third nationwide lockdown, fears are growing that leagues at step three level and below will be scrapped for the second year running.

Boards from each of the Trident Leagues - Southern League, Isthmian League and Northern Premier League - have already stated the 2020/21 season should 'cease immediately and be declared null and void'.

Meanwhile, clubs from steps three to six of the pyramid are to be approached for their views on how to bring a pandemic-wrecked campaign to a finish.

But at step seven, which includes the Hampshire Premier League, there are glimmers of hope that a null and void conclusion could be avoided.

The Mid Sussex League have stated their desire to resume the season 'in March, if not earlier' in a bid to bring the campaign to a natural conclusion, should Government restrictions allow.

Meanwhile, HPL secretary Steve Smith says they are doing all they can to avoid a 'null and void' verdict for the 31 teams across their two divisions.

Despite not being able to play at present, the Hampshire League have been hard at work drawing up plans for alternative ways to conclude the season if it cannot be completed naturally.

Smith revealed committee members are looking at the idea of clubs playing each other just once within the HPL to constitute a season.

But that would have to be ratified by the FA before it could be implemented.

Smith said: ‘Our main thing is that we’re being proactive, even though we can’t do anything about it at the moment.

‘We’re still talking about what we might and might not be able to do to provide football for these guys who’ve not been able to kick a ball since November.

‘At the end of the day, we’re here to provide competitive football for 31 teams.

‘We’re hoping to restart. We’re aware that some clubs will get punished two seasons running and not get promotion if it’s null and void.

‘We are looking at alternatives, one of which we’d need FA permission to do, but one of the things we’re looking at - not too many of our clubs have played each other twice, so we’re looking at a scenario where we might be able to play each other once.

‘That means we can still have a league where everyone has played each other, then we can have promotion and relegation between our leagues.

‘That’s one of the things we discussed

‘We can’t just say, ‘we’re going to play a one team plays each other once season,’ and just go and do it. We obviously need permission from the authorities.

‘Everything depends on when we’re given the all clear to start playing again.'

Two clubs have already met each other twice in the Senior Division, with Locks Heath completing the double over Overton.

HPL officials are also drawing up plans to provide their clubs with competitive football should the 'non-elite' season be declared null and void.

Smith said a supplementary cup competition, involving all 31 teams, has also been looked at by the league.

But, again, Government guidelines and the FA will dictate whether they are able to roll that out.

The HPL Cup has reached the second round stage, and that could also be played to a natural conclusion. Last season, because the FA null and voided step 7, the HPL Cup final - between Bush Hill and Colden Common - had to be cancelled as well.

‘The other thing we’re looking at just to provide football, we would form a round robin cup competition,' added Smith.

'We’d form seven groups of four and one group of three based on a draw and then teams in the groups play each other, once or twice, depending on the amount of time we’ve got left, then either the group winner or top two then go into knockout stages.

‘Ideally, everyone will play each other in the group twice and the top two would go into the last 16 and a knockout basis from there.

‘If we can’t finish the season or if they say it’s got to be null and void - if we’ve still got time between be it March and the end of May - to fit in a supplementary cup competition we would do it to provide football.

‘That’s why we do it, to provide football for these blokes.'