FC Halifax Town: Wild expecting campaign to overrun as wait goes on over fate of the season

Town boss Pete Wild has called on the National League to take action over the fate of the season.
Pete Wild. Photo: Marcus BranstonPete Wild. Photo: Marcus Branston
Pete Wild. Photo: Marcus Branston

At the start of the month, National League clubs were given 28 days in which to vote on whether to cancel the season or carry on playing.

Clubs have been offered long-term loans to allow football to continue, but many have said they would rather null and void the season rather than take on debt, having been given grants in order to start the season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Speaking on Tuesday, Wild said: “The circus continues. How we can be nine days after the stuff going out and still not have a resolution is absolutely ludicrous.

“It should all be done and dusted now in my opinion and we should know either way.

“Fair play to the Conference North teams for making a stand, it’s exactly what I’d do.

“Why would you play when you don’t know who’s going to carry on? I don’t get the logic.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think the National League have got to take the bull by the horns and they’ve got to deal with this situation straight away because it’s been shambolic how it’s been dealt with.

“It just continues to frustrate and the longer it goes on, the more ridiculous it gets.”

Wild says there has been “zero leadership” from the National League, and says he has told his players to be wary of any information they see on social media about the continuing saga.

“I think this is where social media is the devil, we all read stuff and we all take it as red,” said Wild.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I’ve had this conversation with the players the other day - stop listening to ‘my mate says this’ and ‘social media says that’.

“Until it’s there in black and white and it’s out in the public domain, it’s all hearsay and it’s not factual.

“We can only deal in facts and the facts are the National League are still dragging their heels in making a decision.

“Whatever’s on social media or whatever people have heard third-hand is irrelevant because until it’s out in the public domain it’s not fact.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The National League is set to introduce mandatory coronavirus testing for all 66 of its clubs.

Clubs will be required to issue lateral flow tests to players and staff twice a week from February 15.

Tests will be provided at no cost to clubs.

“It’s just going to create more chaos,” Wild said.

“There’s going to be more games off, I’ll be mesmerized if we finish on May 29, I’ll be absolutely gobsmacked because we’re going to now bring in mandatory testing, which means we’re going to have more positive cases, which means more games are going to be off.

“Some teams haven’t got a free Tuesday left until the end of the season, we’ve only got two, and we’re up to date with games.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The circus will continue. Don’t get me wrong, this should have been going on from the start, and I welcome the fact that players are being tested for health and safety reasons.

“But the practicalities of it just lead to utter chaos. I’ve sat down with the physio this week about how we’re going to manage it, and practically it’s going to be a nightmare.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.