Nick Ironton says the voiding of the season may have been harsh on his Welwyn Garden City players but he was in agreement with it.
The Citizens were sitting fourth in the Southern League Division One Central table when the coronavirus brought a suspension to all football.
And the FA angered some last week when they announced that all leagues below the National Leagues, and including WGC’s division, were to be scrapped with the results expunged.
A letter sent to the authorities from some of the aggrieved parties has garnered over 100 signatures.
Welwyn weren’t among them though and the City boss preferred to look at the positives from what has been an impressive campaign.
He said: “Personally I agree with [the decision]. I don’t think people have thought about the ramifications extending it involves.
“Contracted players, loss of revenue, there are a million things.
“We’re obviously disappointed because we were in a play-off position but if you look at the bigger picture, I don’t think they had any other choice.
“It’s so ambiguous to say points-per-game or whatever. Somebody could win the last nine games, you just don’t know.
“We could have a grievance because we are in a good position but it is what it is. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.
“We’ve had a really good season. We’ve probably punched above our weight and there is no guarantee we’ll produce that next year.
“Unfortunately life is more important than football and it is hard to say that but it is true.”
The ending of the season, any appeals notwithstanding, is one of the few certainties afforded to football clubs at the minute and there is the temptation to allow thoughts to turn towards next year.
However, to do that says Ironton is to put yourself right back into the snare of the unknown.
He said: “I’ve been pretty philosophical for a while. I knew as soon as this started that the season would be finished.
“I told a few of the committee members when they suspended it until April 3 that we’ve got no chance of playing this season and I’ll be very surprised if we kick off the season on the right date in August.
“I just don’t see it.
“[The pandemic] could go on for quite a long time and in my eyes we might start playing football in September or something like that.
“You just have to take every day and every week as it comes.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone from the club but I have addressed the players and they are pretty disappointed.
“But this is the most unprecedented situation we’ve ever had and you have to take it on the chin.
“If things become a little bit more stable as the weeks progress then yeah, I’ll look to next season and see what’s what.
“I presume I’ll have some of my players as targets for other clubs but again, that’s the way it is.”
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