F&W clubs balloted on how to finish the season

The Fermanagh and Western League will know later today (Monday) how it’s member clubs prefer to finish the current football season which has been suspended since March 7 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

All clubs have been balloted and those responses have to be submitted later today so the Fermanagh and Western can inform the Irish Football Association (IFA) by Saturda (May 16) how they wish to finish the season.

 

Last week Neil Jardine issued a paper outlining a number of possible options ahead of a management committee of the league which was held via the Zoom platform on Thursday evening.

 

During that meeting, which lasted two and half hours, all the options were thoroughly discussed and debated and while league officials agreed they would prefer the season to be completed on the pitch they agreed that was highly unlikely. Ultimately it was decided that the member clubs should make the big calls.

 

Clubs were subsequently sent an email containing a ballot paper on Friday outlining the options that had been agreed at the meeting.

 

The ballot paper contained two key questions. The first asked whether or not clubs wanted to finish the season on the pitch subject to a relaxation of Government guidelines. It was stipulated that games must resume no later than June 14. 

 

In the event that this was not possible  or that clubs decided against a resumption to playing then question two presented three options agreed by the management committee how the season could be completed.

 

Option one was the season be declared null and void and meant all teams would start the 2020-21 season in the same division.

 

Option 2 decided final league positions by using an average points per game formula with promotion and relegation while option three also used average points but with promotion only – no relegation.

 

Trophies would be awarded in the case of options two and three.

 

If clubs decided on option three then for the 2020-21 season there would be 14 teams in Division One, 10 in Division Two, seven in Division Three, 13 in Reserve Division One, nine in Reserve Division Two and only six in Reserve Division Three.