By Sam Houston
As all the Vanarama National League suspends all three of their divisions due to COVID-19 – Who celebrates, who grumbles and how do the Beavers fit into this?
1: Stock Image from Flickr.com
Just after lunchtime on the 22nd of April, the Vanarama National League tweeted out an official statement that stated that their divisions would face a fate many non-league fans both expected and feared; that the league would be officially cancelled as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, and the National League has not yet announced whether the end of season tables will be calculated based on current standings, points per game or declared null and void, with no titles awarded nor promotion/relegation.
Whilst many fans may be upset that this confirms a break in the sport that many didn’t want to acknowledge, the decision has been met with very little backlash from fans as the majority of non-league supporters understand that cancelling the league season is the most sensible decision that could be made when factoring in the health and safety of both players and fans; within the Vanarama National League's tweeted statement, however, the league states a “majority of clubs are in favour” of the decision, implying that there are clubs within the league who were against the cancellation.
It is currently unknown which clubs didn’t offer their support for the plan, and whether that was for financial or footballing reasons, but we have hypothesised who we think is the happiest and who is the saddest about this seasons’ results not counting in the National League South (and what Hampton and Richmond supporters may think of the decision!).
Celebrating:
Hungerford Town.
Lowly Hungerford sit at the bottom of the league by seven points, whilst also possessing the worst goal difference in the league (-26!).
The possibility that Hungerford may be saved by a voiding of the league must come as a welcome surprise for a supporter base that would’ve likely already been contemplating life in the Southern Football League.
Grumbling:
Wealdstone.
It won’t be a surprise that whilst the team at the bottom of the league is celebrating, the team that currently sits at the top of the table is grumbling. Wealdstone are currently top of the National League South by three points with a game in hand over second placed Havant and Waterlooville. If no teams are promoted, Wealdstone supporters will likely feel heartbroken that they could not see their side (who lost 2-0 against the Beavers in their only meeting this season!) gain promotion to the National League for the first time.
And finally… Hampton and Richmond’s perspective:
Short answer – mixed, closer to the grumpy side but mixed nonetheless; so we're going to break the Beavers’ situation down.
Standings – Hampton and Richmond ended the season outside the National League South’s bottom playoff spot by only three points, but with two games in hand over the team occupying that place, Dorking Wanderers (Hampton and Richmond actually have played less games than every side currently occupying the playoff spots).
Form – The Beavers came into the forced-break on mixed form, with an even split of two wins, two draws and two losses in their last six played games but it is the form of Dorking Wanderers, a single place above, that will leave Beavers’ fans wishing that the season could’ve continued. A recent run of poor form has seen Dorking slide down the league table, with the Surrey side failing to pick up even a single point in any of their last five fixtures. Many Hampton and Richmond supporters would have felt confident that their side was certain to overtake Dorking within the coming matches.
Null and void – If the season’s cancellation is paired with each division being declared null and void with no promotion/relegation (as many think will be the most likely outcome), Beavers fans will likely neither be celebrating nor grumbling, as they will miss a chance to get promoted but simultaneously will not feel too aggrieved as they were not actually in the playoffs. With no National League teams getting relegated, Hampton and Richmond fans should feel confident that their side can make a real push in the coming season towards non-league football's highest division for the first time in the club’s history.
Current standings - Beavers’ fans will be, quite rightly, grumbling if promotion and relegation is determined based on the current league standings at the time of the cancellation; not only are they a mere three points behind a team that are on awful form, Hampton and Richmond also have 2 games in hand on their closest rivals, making this supposed scenario extremely unfair on the London side.
Points per game (PPG) – Beavers fans will be celebrating in the streets of Richmond (whilst keeping six foot apart)! The Beavers would find themselves 7th place and in playoffs if the league decides to work out the table by each team’s average points per game, which makes sense in a division where some teams have played as many as three games more than others. How the playoffs would be decided remains to be seen, but whatever happens the Beavers can be proud of a strong season.
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