Points-per-game formula has catch
THE sudden halt of island sport has sent alarm bells ringing around football.
Because despite a 2020 summer ruling that going forward a points-per-game formula can be used to decide divisional champions, that only comes into play if two-thirds of the programme is completed, which no league is anywhere close to achieving yet.
Guernsey Football League Management board members are keeping fingers crossed that the new lockdown is only temporary and not severe enough to destroy the current campaign.
In fact, with the weather being as wet as it has been and with most pitches sodden and unplayable, the loss of the coming week’s fixtures was in the pipeline anyway and, perhaps, even the week after that.
Matt Lihou, the GFLM’s fixture coordinator, said it would take approaching a month of inactivity to seriously impact a completion of the 2020-21 season.
‘The season is recoverable and completable if it's just a two weeks lockdown, although there is quite a lot of congestion already.
‘If the lockdown ends after two weeks on Sunday 7 February we’d lose 83 more games, including 11 in the Priaulx league and the start of the Stranger Cup.’
But, added Lihou, if it stretches out to four weeks it would pose a big problem because as things stand there are a minimum of 365 games still to be played and perhaps as many as 380-390.
GFLM introduced the points-per-game formula after last season Guernsey adopted to follow FA guidelines and call the season null and void.
That meant North, 10 points clear at the time and favourites to lift the Priaulx title, were denied their 33rd Upton appearance.
