Budleigh Salterton manager Dan Carthew has praised all the playing staff at the club after such a turbulent year in football.
It has now been 12 months since any normal football routine has been possible and the uncertainty remains.
Despite the challenges, young players from across the football world deserve credit for their patience, flexibility and enthusiasm to renew the Saturday sporting schedule we all used to take for granted.
“We have received an email from the Devon Football League, giving us a range of options on what should happen next, including cancelling the season or trying to continue in some form,” said Carthew.
“When making that sort of decision, we need to factor in the other teams at the club and the costs of putting on matches, alongside what facilities are allowed to be open.
“It has been a very difficult time for the players because all they want to do is play football and be with their mates.
“I’ve tried to keep on contact with the lads and I feel awful that they have been denied the chance to enjoy football for a year.
“They’ve had to deal with the challenges of coming out of the first lockdown and playing in a totally new environment, which meant no use of the dressing rooms or the social side after games.
“We all completely accept it was the right thing to do but it’s obviously not the norm for young players.
“We found ourselves doing team-talks on the pitch and lads standing around in the freezing cold.
“Football at our level is reliant on the social side and players build friendship groups, so it is a challenge when you are not able to enjoy those things.
“Lads play football for the love it and the social aspect is crucial.
“A Saturday used to be players enjoying breakfast at a local café, play football with their mates for two hours and then go out together socially.
“It is no criticism of the decisions that have been made, we all understand the reasons, and youngsters have done exceptionally well in rising to those challenges.”