‘I don’t think we’re getting the respect we deserve – we’re being branded as grassroots’ – Pompey Women boss Jay Sadler

The Women's Football Conference are scheduled to meet with The FA to discuss a final decision for clubs operating at steps 3-7 of the pyramid.

The Women's National League - where Pompey play in the Southern Division - tweeted earlier this week of their hope for seasons at steps 3-4 to resume in April.

However, Blues boss Jay Sadler is not optimistic his side will be allowed to continue with the campaign.

He stressed another premature end to steps 3-7 - on the back of a null and void last term - could have major 'ramifications' for clubs operating outside of the Women's Super League and Championship levels.

He said: 'We’re in a position where we want to resume, potentially extend the league until June, and I know there are a lot of clubs in our league in the same position as us.

‘The bigger picture of women’s football has been left out of it.

‘A lot of people are, unfortunately, basing their decision around personal bias of where they are in the league and not where the growth of the women’s game could go and what the possible ramifications could be of another season curtailed.

‘It’s not looking positive but there’s hope (to continue the season). Where there’s hope you never know.

‘At the end of the day, if teams in the sixth and seventh tier can’t get provision then it’s got to be the same for us to.'

Steps 3-6 of the men's game were 'curtailed with immediate effect' earlier this week.

But Sadler insisted it's more than 'do-able' for Pompey Women to complete their season.

They have 12 matches remaining to complete their Women's National League campaign to restart.

Sadler says if seasons resumed in mid-April - allowing a couple of weeks training for players after a return from March 29 - and were extended into June it would give clubs ample time to finish 2020-21 fully.

But he remains unsure whether other teams will be as willing as he is to complete the campaign.

Sadler said: ‘We think if we’re back in on March 29 with a two-week pre-season on pitch, although for the player welfare we put a five-week online Zoom in place, so essentially it would be a seven-week pre-seasons.

‘From that, if we played our first game in April, we’d have 11-and-a-half weeks to play 12 games. There are several teams we could play midweek home and away.

‘Even if that was not do-able there could be a plan B where a percentage, a threshold of games, is met before it goes to points per game, so maybe 75 per cent could be a reasonable amount of games that teams have to play.

‘Unfortunately, there are teams in our league that don’t want to play. They’ve got their own reasons and everyone is allowed an opinion.

‘I don’t want to speak out of turn but I just don’t think the National League is getting the respect it deserves.

'We’re being branded as grassroots and basically whatever happens in the seventh tier, what the people in the seventh tier voted for is what’s going to happen for us in the third tier.

‘I don’t think that’s right.'