‘Why are my players going to want to play in a silly tournament that means nothing?'

The Deans discovered a second successive Wessex League Premier Division campaign had ended prematurely following an FA announcement on Wednesday.

For Horndean, along with non-elite clubs across the country, it finally provided some certainty after months without answers as lower league football remained suspended amid the pandemic.

Birmingham admitted the 2020-21 season 'probably shouldn't have started' in the first place.

Instead, clubs should have finished outstanding fixtures from 2019-20 rather a null and void verdict being implemented.

However, he is now hoping for brighter times and an uninterrupted campaign from when things get restarted in pre-season.

‘It’s a no-brainer in my opinion,' he said.

‘It should have been done at the turn of the year (season curtailment) to allow clubs to get their grounds up together this, that and the other, allowing everyone to get planning, but it’s done now and hopefully we can get everything done and get 2021-22 started and completed.

'You’ve got to put things into perspective. Should the season have started this season? No, probably not, especially with how aggressive the virus was - you could have maybe continued the games of last season where there were only 10 or 12 games left maximum.

‘Once the season was declared null and void after three quarters of games last season, it was a no-brainer when you’ve only played a quarter of the games (this season) that it was going to be null and void.'

Now seasons have been curtailed and 'organised outdoor sports' can resume from March 29 under Government guidelines, calls for mini competitions to be organised could grow.

But Birmingham is not one of those who will be banging the drum for some action before pre-season.

He would rather just bring his players back a week or so earlier to training rather than be involved in a 'silly tournament'.

‘I know people have come out with this idea of playing a mini-tournament or a round-robin etc,' he said.

‘I’ve got people that go out and earn money on a Saturday for a job, they’ve got mortgages to pay, they’ve got livelihoods to live, why are they going to want to play in a silly tournament that means nothing?

‘If anything, I’ll be looking at coming back probably seven or 10 days earlier, purely and simply because they’ve had such a long lay-off.

‘Pre-season is going to have to be laid out and thought about very carefully because these players are not going to be in tip-top condition.

‘Their bodies, their muscles, their lungs, they’re not going to be used to being opened up again.

‘It’ll be a different sort of pre-season. It’ll be a more low-key one ready to get them going for the season.'

‘Why are my players going to want to play in a silly tournament that means nothing?' – Horndean boss Birmingham