Galway clubs were expected to pull the plug on soccer season last night

LOCAL soccer clubs were set to pass a vote last night (Wednesday) on a Galway FA proposal to declare the 2019/20 season null as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and ensuing lockdown of all sporting activity.

While the meeting was held after Tribune Sport went to press, it was expected that the simple majority required to pass the vote would be easily achieved, with a number of clubs that spoke to this newspaper earlier in the week all indicating that they would be voting in favour of voiding the 2019/20 season.

The Galway FA called an EGM to be held over Zoom on Wednesday night, where the proposal to declare the 2019/20 season void was to be put to a vote.

There are 38 clubs affiliated to the Galway FA, and it was expected that the 20 votes needed to declare the season as void would easily be achieved.

All club delegates were to be allowed to log into the Zoom meeting, and then when it came to voting, every participant would be ‘muted’.

Each club would then be called from a roll in alphabetical order, with a chosen delegate from that club ‘unmuted’ to cast the vote on behalf of their club.

The EGM would also discuss what would happen in relation to promotion and relegation, but a spokesperson for the Galway FA stressed that any decision to resume football would only be taken once the Government, the HSE, and the FAI had indicated it was safe to do so.

Under Phase Four of the Government’s Roadmap For Reopening Society and Business, all adult amateur and underage clubs can begin their return to training programmes from Monday, 20 July as part of Phase 4 of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

That is in respect of just training programmes – a return to full training is permitted under Phase 5, from Monday August 10; with Monday August 28 the date pencilled in for when games can resume, though all of that is subject to change.

“We took a poll of parents in our own club, and the vast majority said they didn’t want their children to go back playing sport yet,” said Joachim Lydon, PRO of West Coast United, which is based at Letterfrack in Connemara.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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