‘We don’t want to be rushed back after lockdown’ – Hayling United boss’ message to the footballing authorities

The Humbugs have been blighted by injuries and struggled to hit the heights they did in the Hampshire Premier League Senior Division before last season was curtailed.

Bishop admitted growing numbers on the treatment table this term was partly down to the fact some of his squad were not at the necessary fitness levels when football resumed.

But the Hayling boss also pointed to the fact of a disjointed pre-season and hectic schedule after the initial lockdown as a key reason behind that.

Now Bishop - whose side were beaten 5-2 at table-toppers Bush Hill last midweek before the season suspension - is hoping for a near fully-fit squad when the season resumes after the second nationwide lockdown.

‘With a bit of hindsight, where we had the extended break over lockdown, our fitness levels were not quite what we wanted them to be,' conceded Bishop.

‘We were picking up injuries all over the place and we were playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday all the way through.

‘We’ve never really had a consistent run of players out.

'If you look at our team sheets over nearly the first half of the season, I don’t think I’ve picked the same team twice.

‘It’s not because I want to keep changing things, it’s because of unavailability through injuries.

‘You could see half of them weren’t really at the fitness levels we wanted them to be.

‘In some ways, it’s probably doing us a bit of a favour to let the lads who have picked up muscular injuries and stuff like that to get over them.

‘We can then consolidate when we come back.'

When football is finally allowed to resume at step three and below, Bishop does not want the grassroots game to be rushed back.

He stressed that would cause injuries to players after coming in from the cold without necessary training.

‘What happened last time was we finished at 100mph then there was nothing before a slow, staggered and disjointed pre-season with groups of five and bigger groups and we couldn’t train together. It was all over the place,' Bishop recalled.

‘You can see why so many players have had muscle injuries, it’s not just our team.

‘I’m sure all teams have had it.

‘When we do come back there needs to be a period where they’re training again before December.

'If you take it at face value, we’ve got a month off and then we come back, we need a week or two at least just to get them back in the swing of things.'