Voiding the season ‘doesn’t sit right’ with Harpenden Town chairman Roman Motyczak
Harpenden Town chairman Roman Motyczak has sympathy for SSML rivals Colney Heath. Picture: KARYN HADDON - Credit: Archant
Recording the season as null and void in the Spartan South Midlands League was the wrong call according to Harpenden Town chairman Roman Motyczak.
The FA took the decision to expunge all results from step three of the non-league pyramid and redo the year again next time around after the coronavirus pandemic has passed.
But despite Harps being sixth when the season was suspended, and having no affect on the promotion or relegation places, Motyczak felt there should be some resolution to the campaign.
“I don’t think it should be voided,” he said. “I think it should have some relevance.
“Whether we start again in September and finish this season first and then start next season, and maybe extend the end of next season later into May, you can sort of move everything on.
“Normally the season starts in August and we’d probably need about six weeks to finish this season. If you started in August or September and spent the first six weeks finishing this season and then rolled straight into next season. That might be a possibility, but then there’s implications of ground gradings.
“The other way is an average points per game system. I’m surprised the FA hasn’t got that written into their constitution at every level. That would get them out of a lot of problems.”
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Voiding the season had serious repercussions for many teams up and down the country, not least of all Harpenden’s near neighbours and SSML rivals Colney Heath.
They were six points ahead with a game in hand going into the final 10 matches of the season and Motyczak expressed sympathy for their plight.
He said: “Colney Heath aren’t being promoted and there are a couple of other teams that have already won promotion.
“They’ve got enough points that mathematically they should be promoted but it’s all voided.
“It just doesn’t sit right with me. You’ve gone to all the effort, you’ve had some great performances. It’s like it never happened.
“I have every sympathy with Colney Heath. They’ve had a pretty good season, they should get a reward for that, and there’s other teams in other leagues.
“There’s Stowmarket Town who we played last year in the FA Vase.
“They were 15 points clear [in the Eastern Counties Premier Division]. They should be getting promoted.”
