Why it's 'as you were' for Bognor, Chichester, Pagham, Selsey, Midhurst and Bosham's football teams

All locked up and no football to stage - this scene at Oaklands Park, Chichester, is mirrored at grounds everywhere / Picture: Steve Bone

The Isthmian and Southern Combination leagues are ending their seasons – but however they bring down the curtain will make little difference to our local sides.

League bosses at non-league steps three and below have decided terminating the season now is the best response to the coronavirus crisis.

A decision is awaited on whether the season is simply written off or whether final placings are worked out on a points per game basis.

Whichever option is implemented, it will not affect Bognor, Chichester City, Pagham, Selsey, Midhurst or Bosham.

All will be in the same Isthmian and SCFL divisions in 2020-21 as they have been in 2019-20 as none was going into the final stages of the season in promotion or relegation places.

Many Sussex sides – most notably Worthing and Hastings – will be sweating on whether their efforts to get into promotion places will count for nothing if all games already played are declared null and void.

Bognor and Chichester were both in the running for play-off spots in the Isthmian premier and south-east divisions respectively but surely won't feel short-changed if the current tables become final ones, and will have another go next year.

Pagham, meanwhile, will be happy to have climbed away from the SCFL premier relegation zone with a fine run of form under new boss Kerry Hardwell.

Bognor manager, FA Council member and National League board member Jack Pearce said there was no option that would suit everyone.

“A lot of the leagues have come to the conclusion that it is best to terminate the season,” he said.

“The country is in a major crisis and normal rules go out of the window.”