MANCHESTER, March 17 — England’s fifth-tier National League, the last nationwide competition still playing football in the country, said on Friday that it was suspending play.
The National League, which also has a lower tier of Northern and Southern divisions, had played at the weekend despite the Premier League and the three divisions of the Football League having suspended their fixtures.
“In the knowledge of the government measures now announced including not to support sporting events with emergency services workers it is clearly not practical for its fixtures to be fulfilled in the immediate future,” the league said in a statement.
“In those circumstances and in line with The Football Association and the Professional Game, at a Board Meeting today The National League has decided that its competition is now suspended until at least 3rd April 2020”.
The league added that it had “no other choice but to reach this decision”. Several club officials have warned that club’s could struggle to survive without matchday income. — Reuters
