Newton Aycliffe FC’s season remains suspended with no games having been played since the end of October. It was initially hoped that Lockdown 2 would be followed by a resumption of fixtures on 5th December. Aycliffe were due to travel to Penrith on that date.
However, the new Tier 3 restrictions prevent spectators being allowed to attend matches. As a result the Ebac Northern League decided to delay the resumption of fixtures, initially for two further weeks. The League intends to look again at the situation when the government reviews the tiers on 16th December. Currently, the next scheduled fixture is away at Sunderland RCA on Saturday 19th December. That will be followed by West Auckland’s visit to the Beaumont Landscapes Stadium on Saturday 26th December (12:00pm kick off).
If the North East remains in Tier 3 after 16th December it would seem likely that these two games will also be postponed.
The decision of the League Management Committee to suspend fixtures seems to have been the only sensible option when the Tier 3 restrictions were announced. 37 of the 40 clubs in the League are in Tier 3 areas (the exceptions being Northallerton Town, Penrith and Carlisle City).
Newton Aycliffe’s Durham Challenge Cup match against Darlington Town has also been postponed. It had been scheduled for next week but advice received by Durham FA stated that clubs below Northern League level could not travel between Tier 3 areas. So, as County Durham and Darlington are in different combined authority areas, Town could not travel to Newton Aycliffe to play. The game will be rescheduled.
At the time that fixtures were suspended Colin Stromsoy’s side had played 12 league games and sat fifth in Division One. Now that Lockdown 2 is behind us the squad has been able to resume training. However, whether we will see them play again in 2020 should be decided next week.
Photo: Liam Jarvie in action in Aycliffe’s last match before lockdown. A 3-2 loss to Liverpool side Lower Breck in the FA Vase on 31 October.
