This is the date the Ebac Northern League hope to start new season

The Ebac Northern League have announced that they are hoping to get their new season underway in early September.
A date has been set.A date has been set.
A date has been set.

It is just under four months since the coronavirus epidemic brought a premature end to the 2019-20 season and led to a Football Association decision to null and void all results during the campaign.

But Northern League officials have been locked in discussions over how to allow the competitive action to return in line with government and FA guidelines.

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The league has revealed that they are looking to kick-off the new season on Saturday 5th September – although they have stressed that fixtures will only commence once the all-clear is given for supporters to attend.

League chairman Glenn Youngman said: “These are unprecedented times for non-league football, and we have had to balance a number of issues.

“The priority is to complete league fixtures. The delayed start to the season means there are fewer weeks for fixtures to be arranged.

“But spectators are essential to the livelihood of our clubs, so we hope the issue about when spectators can attend games will be resolved at a national level as quickly as possible so we can make a final decision about the start of the new season.

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“I would also like to thank all the staff and volunteers and our clubs who are putting in so much work behind the scenes to prepare for the new season and to make it as safe as possible for players, officials and spectators.”

The league has also revealed that they will suspend the Brooks Mileson League Cup and a new cup competition specifically for Division One clubs will run alongside the Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup instead.

Both competitions will be played on a straight knock-out basis over 90 minutes, but a penalty shoot-out will be used in the event of a draw, rather than forcing the teams into a half-hour period of extra-time.

Clubs will also function with squad numbers on their shirts for the first time to “help facilitate the guidance for the Covid-19 pandemic” and the league have advised that paper copies of matchday programmes should not be produced.