Non-league football’s pre-season has already kicked off, with matches scheduled throughout July. This means that non-league Clubs will be playing games, in front of spectators, but limited by the current Coronavirus restrictions. In practise, this means Western League Clubs are limited to 50% of their ground’s capacity, a nice problem to have. But what is far less appealing is the prospect of Clubhouses limited to table service only. So, what are the prospects for non-league football returning to the old normal after Freedom Day on July 19th?

The European Championship Final is scheduled for July 11th, where the Government have pledged that at least 60,000 fans will be present, 75% of Wembley’s capacity. Lucky ticket holders are required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test before entry, so are we to believe that just over a week later, football teams across England will be able to welcome back an unlimited number of spectators, without any evidence of vaccination or testing?

The Government may wish to be seen to be lifting all Covid restrictions on July 19th, but they have a track record of moving the goalposts. Back in August last year the Government were forced to clarify their position on the return of fans, stating that “leagues below the National Leagues North and South can continue with spectators”. Whilst this news was widely welcomed at the time, the inference that fans of non-elite Clubs had always been able to attend, a fact that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport had neglected to share with the FA, shows that Government is prepared to play politics with the Covid guidance.

Only a couple of months later, in October, the Government introduced the Tier system, which saw Clubs across the Western League governed by different Covid restrictions. More importantly, the FA directed Clubs to liaise with their Local Authority on issues including spectator admittance and takeaway food and beverage sales.

Fast-forward to February 2021 and the Government announced their latest roadmap out of lockdown. The non-league football community was desperate for a clue as to when we could get back to watch live games, but the Government’s timetable set a return for fans back to May 17th, a date when the old normal would have seen most seasons concluded. However, the real issue is the conditions by which ‘organised’ sport was allowed to resume in front of fans, as the Government guidance put that ball in the court of National Governing Bodies.

Whilst the Government might be keen to see a return to the old normal on July 19th, the Prime Minister has made it clear that some “extra precautions” may still be needed. Boris doesn’t like to be the bearer of bad news, whilst the perennial pantomime villains that are the FA find themselves almost incapable of delivering good news. Whether it’s the Clubs appealing against their movement in the latest restructuring exercise, or the 151 Clubs signing up to a legal challenge to overturn their decision to void the 2019/20 season, the FA could easily find themselves thrown under the Government’s Covid bus for a second time in less than a year.

Whether social distancing remains in some form after July 19th, remains to be seen. However, any non-league Clubs looking to rip up their Covid Risk Assessment need to think again. Hand sanitiser, one way systems, even face masks may yet play a part in the 2021/22 football season, particularly with the number of Coronavirus cases rising at an alarming rate. The European Championships has proved that even International footballers can be made to self-isolate, so will we see a return to Covid fixture cancellations? There may be players who haven’t had the vaccine when the new season starts on July 31st, either by accident or design, and whilst the prospect of a Covid Passport looks unlikely, there may well be restrictions that Local Authorities or the FA will choose to place on us all, as we come to terms with the new normal.

Public Health experts have warned about the prospect of winter lockdowns if the NHS becomes overwhelmed. Despite calls to the contrary, the FA remain resolute in their belief that their Standardised Rules do not need to consider the prospect of another interrupted or incomplete season. Covid-19 has proved that it won’t simply be wished away, so we shouldn’t be disappointed if Freedom Day isn’t quite a free as we had hoped.

Learning to live with this virus means learning to nurture the beautiful game during this pandemic and that is a challenge we should all be prepared for.

Marcus Brody