NORTH Leigh’s Oxfordshire Senior Cup semi-final against Thame United has been postponed as the coronavirus outbreak continues to take its toll.
The Oxfordshire FA today agreed to suspend all county cup competitions until May 5, with Wednesday’s last-four clash the highest profile match affected.
Both clubs met with county FA officials over the weekend and all parties agreed to call off the game, due to be played at Banbury United’s Spencer Stadium.
Read also: No time for speculation on how coronavirus-hit season will end, says EFL
The suspension does not apply to the county’s grassroots leagues, who have been left to decide their course of action on an individual basis.
But Oxfordshire FA chief executive Ian Mason admitted he felt there was no option but to suspend the 14 men’s, women’s and youth competitions within their remit.
Read also: Oxford City in the dark over whether National League will continue
He said: “We think it’s the right thing to do as there’s so much uncertainty and unknowns.
“All the finals we’ve arranged will not take place on the dates issued.
“I know Bill Shankly said football is more important than life or death, but where we are today life is more important.”
Read also: Oxford United explain ticket policy amid coronavirus uncertainty
The clubs were notified of the decision this lunchtime and Mason felt it was important they were not left in the dark.
He added: “For so many reasons it makes sense to be proactive.
“The players will probably be okay, but we’ve got to think about the staff and supporters.
“It wasn’t an easy decision. We believe it’s going to get worse before it gets better, so we’ve done this to remove a lot of uncertainty.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here