National League 'Likely' to Cancel Season - Knock On Effect for Premier League & EFL

​The National League is preparing to cancel all of its remaining fixtures as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc with the footballing schedule. 

The top two levels of the non-league system (tiers five and six of English football) are currently suspended until April 30 and with so many gameweeks still remaining, a complete termination is now being considered. 

According to the ​Evening Standard, the 2019/20 National League season is 'likely' to be voided and this could have a significant knock-on effect on the EFL and ​Premier League. 

The top non-league division (the Vanarama National League) feeds into League Two, raising questions about promotions and relegations for next season. 

This latest report comes after Steps 5 and 6 of the non-league game were reported to have been ​cancelled on Tuesday. One of the many complex issues surrounding the cancellation of the non-professional game is that each league is administered by a different set of officials. 

This makes agreeing on a universal course of action challenging - particularly as the winter weather has left teams playing a disparate amount of games each so far.  For instance, in the Southern League Premier South, Harrow Borough have completed 34 fixtures while Poole Town have played just 27 times. 

One concept that has been discussed is finalising team's final positions on a points per game system. However, according to a tweet - which has now been deleted - posted yesterday by the Essex Senior League, this concept only has about 50% support in the non-league game.

The Southern League - which governs several divisions at Steps 3 and 4 - released an ​update on their situation yesterday. 

"The Step 3 and 4 Leagues share clubs’ frustration that it is taking so long to determine whether the 2019/20 season is to end now, and if so on what basis," the statement began. 

"To maintain the integrity of our competitions, we ideally need to apply one solution across all of the National League System. However, this may not be possible.

"The Southern, Isthmian and Northern Premier Leagues are unanimous in wanting to terminate the 2019-20 season immediately.

"Whether that is done on the basis of determining final placings via average points per game, or the season is declared null & void cannot be decided until the National League decides how it wishes to proceed.

"Right now, the National League’s position is that they wish to be able to resume the 2019-20 season at some point. The feeder Leagues do not support this because our clubs do not have the financial resources to continue to honour player contracts indefinitely.

"The Southern, Isthmian and Northern Premier Leagues have therefore implemented the process to terminate the season."