SCEFL planning to play a Champions League style Cup competition during April and May

The Southern Counties East Football League has issued the following statement:

"The board of directors met on Thursday to discuss the supplementary cup competition planned for April and May of the 2020/21 season.

Given the latest advice from the FA, as things stand, spectators are currently not allowed to attend matches so it was agreed to delay a decision on whether the competition would take place or not until the directors meet again on March 25.

Hopefully, by this time there may be a change in the guidance for non-elite football so we are keen to keep our options open for the time being.

The rationale behind the date is so clubs have a decision ahead of March 29, which is the first time that they can train together again.

There would be no point gathering teams together to then cancel the planned competition a week or so later, although obviously, any setbacks on the roadmap could see the competition halted further down the line.

As we have demonstrated throughout the past season, no-one wants to facilitate football more than us but we need to be sensible and without spectators' at matches it is not viable for clubs to participate in the competition.

In the meantime, the League is working through the planned rules and set-up of the competition so they are ‘ready to go’ should the guidance change.

It was agreed that it would be a regionalised competition on a group basis with semi-finals and a final to follow, completed on or before May 22.

The directors will issue further communication in a fortnight."

Meanwhile, Deal Town's much-delayed FA Vase Third Round tie at home to Binfield has been arranged for Saturday 10 April 2021, with the winners travelling to play Fakenham Town seven days later.

Both of these games for Derek Hares' men will be played behind closed doors.

Visit the Southern Counties East Football League website: www.scefl.com