‘It's got be null and void again – there’s no other fair way of doing it’ – Locks Heath have their say on how to end the non-league seasons

Laurence Wall (red/black) is one of just a few players who appeared for Locks Heath in the both the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons following the reappointment of Dave Fuge as manager. Picture: Keith Woodland

The Locks Heath assistant manager admitted another null and void outcome is not ideal, but is the only way the current campaign can be decided.

A number of clubs across the 'non-elite' pyramid are nowhere near even halfway through their seasons - although Locks have completed 16 of 30 Hampshire Premier League Senior Division matches.

A number of options have been suggested on alternative ways to avoid another cancelled season'.

Hampshire League secretary Steve Smith revealed they would explore the possibility of an 'each team plays each other once' season in order to avoid 2020-21 being scrapped.

But, even with Locks sitting second in the table, Whitfield says there is only one option.

‘If the season can’t be finished, for whatever reason, then they have to follow the same rules as what they did last year,' he remarked.

'There’s no other fair way of doing it, I don’t think.

'It’s a shame for the clubs that it doesn’t work for, but it’s never going to work for everybody.

‘At least with a null and void you can say the precedent has been sent, in terms of how it went last year, then follow the same rules. I can’t see any other option really.'

However the current season is decided, Locks are in a much better position then they were when the first lockdown was implemented last March.

At that stage they were bottom of the Senior Division and in real danger of being relegated.

But the re-appointment of Dave Fuge as manager in the summer has rejuvenated the club, and a new-look squad have helped them climb to second place.

'It’s chalk and cheese (performance this season and last),' said Whitfield.

‘Last season the null and void helped the club, there’s no two ways about it, there was a very large possibility that the club would have got relegated.

'We were a club that managed to do well out of a null and void but this time we’re up towards the top end and a null and void might not work for us very well.

‘In our minds we’re almost thinking about next season already, what we’re going to do for pre-season and how we’re going to work that.

‘We just don’t see how this season can be completed in any way.

We’re just looking towards next season, what players we want to look at and how we continue what we’ve managed to do this season.'