Knaresborough Town manager Rob Hunter is fearful of the new Toolstation NCEL Premier Division season not starting on the 31st July.
Knaresborough, like many Non League clubs across the country, are struggling to field sides in their pre-season games due to the number of players self-isolating.
The problems for clubs could escalate if a projection of just under 5 million people being in isolation by the 4th August proves to be accurate.
That is why Hunter wouldn’t be shocked if the big kick off for the NCEL is delayed.
“I think it is going to be incredibly tough (to start the season on the 31st July),” Hunter told Non League Yorkshire.
“In the first two waves of covid I never saw too many people going down with covid, but in the last three weeks at work and in football I’ve just seeing dozens and dozens of friends and family members going down with covid.
“This track and trace policy is hurting us as a football club and we’re not the only club.
“I think unless incredibly special happens in the next couple of weeks I can’t see the season starting (on July 31st).
“There’s too many clubs struggling with covid.
“We were due to play Campion on the Saturday just gone and they called it off as they had four players with covid or having to self-isolate.
“I had four players with covid missing as well.
“I went to play a game at Northallerton because a team had cancelled on them because they had too many players missing because of covid.
“This is pre-season.
“It (the problems getting games on) is only going to get worse (if the projections are accurate).
“I don’t know how clubs are going to manage to get teams out through isolation or covid.
“We’ve had a couple of people at the club who have been really poorly so it is not that they’re just been tracked and traced.”