UPDATED 12TH APRIL

Although it’s been quiet on the football front, the club continues to work tirelessly behind the scenes as we prepare for the return of grassroots football next month.

This page will be updated with the latest information as we receive it from the MKDDL, the FA and the government.

What is the new guidance?
The FA have updated their Covid-19 guidance for the return of football. Here is a summary:

Travel
The 'Stay at Home' order ended on Monday 29th March. There are no travel restrictions as such, but you should avoid travelling at the busiest times and routes, as well as minimising any unnecessary journeys.

Car sharing with people outside your household or support bubble is permitted as long as you follow the Government's guidance on safer travel, e.g. wear face coverings, open windows, etc…

Spectators
Spectators are permitted provided they adhere to the rule of six - gather in groups of up to six people or two households. They should minimise shouting or raising their voices.

Initially, no spectators were allowed at grassroots football unless it was for safeguarding purposes. This was limited to one parent or guardian per player.

Indoor facilities
Changing rooms can be used but participants should minimise their time spent inside where possible. They must socially distance themselves from people outside their household. Team talks should not take place in changing rooms under any circumstances.

Toilets will be open up to 30 minutes before and after matches.

Initially, indoor facilities (e.g. changing rooms) had to remain shut and only be used for emergencies, although toilet facilities could be accessed up to 30 minutes before and after training and matches.

Throughout the last 12 months, the club's concern for the safety, health and welfare of all players, coaches and parents has and will remain paramount.

You can find more information on the guidance here.

When will training resume?
Shenley Brook End School have confirmed that we can use their astroturf and grass pitches for training and home matches from Monday 29th March.

Therefore, training resumed on the astroturf on Thursday 1st April from 8 - 9 pm.

Our team will move to grass training on Thursday 29th April (sunset is at 8:25 pm).

When will matches resume?
We resumed our league campaign by hosting Towcester Town Tigers on Easter Sunday (4th April).

The Phantoms' last ever game is set to be at home against Towcester Town Foxes on Sunday 27th June.

You can view all the fixtures here.

The deadline for teams to sign new players is Friday 30th April.

What is being done to help teams complete their fixtures?
The FA have extended the 2020/21 grassroots season until the end of June to provide additional time to complete fixtures.

Therefore, we have 13 weeks to play our remaining 16 league matches.

A league spokesperson said that teams should fit fixtures in "as and when they can" and managers could "arrange games in place of training".

Furthermore, the league will allow teams to reverse fixtures (i.e. switch home games to away and vice versa) since some teams will be unable to play home matches for a variety of reasons (e.g. cricket teams using the pitches in June).

Any teams who choose to move their league games will not be fined as long as they follow the correct procedures by notifying the opposition, referee and the league.

What if teams still aren't able to complete their fixtures?
If teams are still unable to complete all of their remaining fixtures, points per game (PPG) could be used. This is calculated by dividing the total number of points by the number of games played.

League rules state that any team unable to complete at least 75% of its fixtures will be expunged. There are 11 teams in the Phantom's division (U18 Divison 2), so each team will need to play at least 15 of their 20 fixtures to use PPG.

So far this season, Shenley have played 6 league matches.

What happened to the league and county cups?
In July 2020, the Board of Directors at Berks and Bucks FA unanimously agreed to withdraw the County Cup competitions for the 2020/21 season to allow clubs and leagues to recover and rebuild.

In November 2020, MKDDL voided the league cup to free up weekends to play league fixtures due to the national lockdown. Shenley had already been knocked out of the cup by division 1 Newport Pagnell Town Pumas.

Why is grassroots football being prioritised?
Justifying their roadmap, the government said: "Opening outdoor sports settings will help to reduce the adverse physical and mental health effects experienced by large parts of the population, in particular children and those living alone. Exercise and outdoor sports are well documented to reduce individuals’ risk of major illnesses, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer by up to 50% and lower the risk of early death by up to 30%. Physical activity is also known to help with improving mental health through better sleep, happier moods, and managing stress, anxiety or intrusive and ‘racing’ thoughts."

A survey by the Youth Sport Trust, a leading children's charity, found 78% of parents said their children were doing less than an hour of exercise a day during the pandemic, while 11% of parents said their children are doing no physical activity at all.

Football managers have said that kids are self-harming themselves because they can't play sport.

Writing in the Telegraph on 23rd February, culture and sports secretary Oliver Dowden MP said: "I know, and the Primer Minister knows, that physical activity is an incredibly important part of a child's long-term development. It teaches children the healthy habits of a lifetime, setting them up for years of sport and fitness that will help fight off obesity and diseases such as Covid."

Speaking to the club's website, defender Mitchell Brook said: "Honestly, I couldn’t be happier for the return of football. It’s been a long wait but we can’t let the time lost affect our strong performances. I’m sure I can speak for everyone when I say that we can’t wait to get back on the pitch and do what we love to do."