Hastings boss: Starting again in August feels right thing to do

With no prospect of the Isthmian League campaign resuming before the start of March, hopes of the 2020-21 season being salvaged are fading fast.

That is a huge disappointment to Agutter and his team, who have shown over two truncated seasons they are the best team in the Isthmian south-east division. Yet, unless there is a move to cram in a lot of games or work out final tables based on points per game – which seems unlikely – they will start 2021-22 at the same step four level.

Agutter and a number of his players have had Covid-19 at a time when the Hastings area has been badly hit by the virus. But he said none had been seriously ill with it and all were now getting over it.

But as they recover, they know a resumption of the football season is not close.

The government’s new national lockdown is in place until February 22 and even if restrictions are eased then, teams would need another ‘pre-season’ before competitive games could restart.

Agutter told the Observer: “Our attitude towards the present situation is that we can’t do anything to change it.

“I don’t think the league will restart. I think starting afresh in August is most likely and that seems the right thing to do.

“I don’t think it’s right to look at having mini-leagues or changing the whole way the league is set up just to get a conclusion to this season.”

Agutter was critical of the football authorities’ decision last spring to declare the 19-20 season null and void and said questions about why nothing was put in place to deal with an unfinished 20-21 were spot on.

And although he said it was impossible to ignore the fact that United were the division’s best side when the two seasons were put together, he did not expect that to be considered by the powers-that-be.

Agutter’s Pilot Field contract is up in July but hopes to lead a new promotion bid in 21-22 – though he does expect a number of his current players to have moved on by then.

He added: “To me now, rebuilding the side and driving it on to more success is exciting. It’s a project and it’s not finished yet.”