Ex-Sunderland and Hartlepool United defender reveals his season solution for National League

Former Hartlepool United defender Darren Williams has called on the football authorities to use ‘a little bit of common sense’ when they make their decisions regarding the 2019/20 season.
Former Hartlepool United defender and Whitby Town manager Darren Williams on the touchline. Picture by FRANK REIDFormer Hartlepool United defender and Whitby Town manager Darren Williams on the touchline. Picture by FRANK REID
Former Hartlepool United defender and Whitby Town manager Darren Williams on the touchline. Picture by FRANK REID

The National League season is currently suspended indefinitely amid the COVID-19 outbreak, with Hartlepool United in a state of limbo as they wait to discover the ultimate fate of the campaign.

And Williams is keen to see the season played to finish – whenever it is safe to do so – but admits that there will need to be a sense of perspective when these decisions are made.

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“It's a difficult one to judge either way,” he said, speaking to the Mail.

“From a personal point of view I'd love to see the season finish out, because there's a lot of teams in great positions to potentially get promoted.

“But you have to look at the other side of the coin that this virus is costing people their lives.

“It's a very difficult one to call. In an ideal world you want to play the season out, but we need to take a little bit of common sense as well.”

But what if the season can’t be finished?

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There has already been uproar further down the pyramid as a number of divisions declared their campaigns null and void – depriving sides of potentially cash-spinning promotions.

For Williams, that cannot be an option.

Indeed, he as a solution which he feels would be a fair barometer of success.

“The only way you can do it is points per game,” he said.

“If you void the league then there will be a lot of disgruntled chairmen, managers and players who were in a great position to be promoted.

“I would hate to be in the position of having to call this one, because you can see both sides of the fence.

“But ideally for me, I'd like to see the season finished or put on a points per game basis - because if you've been doing well across the season then rightfully so, you'll be promoted.”