Football Far North Coast acknowledges the many club delegates who were part of the zoom forum that was convened on Wednesday night (1st September) for the purpose of bringing parties up to date with options to progress season 2021 and the impact of the lockdown.
A position outlined to FFNC club delegates was based on the following way forward;
- Objective is to proceed to play GRAND FINALS for all junior competitions and senior leagues (team 1 v team 2 on the pointscore ladder);
- Grand Finals to be scheduled at various CLUB venues (based on home venue of Team ONE for each respective junior competition/senior league in each case);
- Majority of Grand Finals to be played over on the weekend of 17/18/19, with remaining grand finals to be played 24/25/26 September;
- EVERYTHING is contingent upon an approved exit from lockdown and any conditions that may apply;
- The Finals Series has been cancelled in Newcastle, Macquarie, Hunter Valley and Mid North Coast;
- The measure for determining teams 1 and 2 in each league and competition is “parity of games” and “material impact” on concluding such positions.
- MOST senior leagues and junior competitions are at this point (parity), with a couple of pointscore fixtures to be played in the following leagues/competitions;
- Men’s Premier League, Men’s Championship, Women’s League 2 and Grade 13 Division 2 North;
- A return to football will hopefully be permitted from midnight Friday 10th September, however it is anticipated that an opportunity will be provided for teams to “get back to training” from on 11th & 12th September. The scheduling of the pointscore fixtures that are identified as needing to proceed, will be resolved where reasonable, in conjunction with the clubs involved, noting however that there are time constraints and some mid-week scheduling may be required?
- A decision about the exact scheduling of grand finals will be made not later than Sunday 12th September (for the period 17/18/19 September) and Sunday 19th September (for the period 24/25/26 September);
- Teams 5, 4 & 3 in various competitions/leagues that would otherwise have qualified and proceeded in the Finals Series are unfortunately finished for 2021.
- IF the NSW Government makes a decision to extend the lockdown beyond 10th September, season 2021 will end immediately;
- IF there are any conditions imposed effective from 10th September, as a consequence of the Health Orders, that prove too onerous to comply with at community football level, FFNC reserves the right to end the season immediately.
Further, FFNC confirms previous information issued to clubs that Medals will be awarded to each player in each JUNIOR Pointscore Champions squad and a memento awarded to each player in each SENIOR pointscore winning squad. Beyond this, medals will be awarded to each player in each JUNIOR grand final winning team and a medal to each player in the runners up team, contingent upon the respective grand finals being played. A medal will be awarded to each player in each SENIOR grand final winning team on the same basis. Runners-Up medals are not awarded in senior league grand finals.
The attachment above provides a summary of the teams known thus far, that finished in position one or two in the respective competitions/leagues. FFNC will construct a schedule of grand finals and advise clubs in due course.
We remain in uncertain times and the opportunity to pursue the completion of grand finals is ultimately in the hands of decisions to be made by the NSW Government. We wait with much anticipation to learn what the next move will be, that is predicted to be made known on Thursday 9th September.
On behalf of the football community, I sincerely thank club volunteers for the commitment to activities and remaining enthusiastic about retrieving football for 2021 and beyond.
