Coronavirus: Playing National League games 'just stupid' - John Pemberton
- Published
Alan Devonshire (left), John Pemberton (centre) and Ben Strevens all criticised the decision to let National League games go ahead
National League managers have described the decision to go ahead with Saturday's matches despite the coronavirus pandemic as "wrong" and lacking "common sense".
The National League's decision came after the Premier League and EFL suspended games until at least 3 April.
But only six of 12 scheduled fixtures on Friday and Saturday went ahead.
"We don't need to put ourselves in that position, yet we have. It's stupid," said Chesterfield boss John Pemberton.
Pemberton revealed after the 1-1 draw with Dover Athletic that Spireites defender Haydn Hollis had gone into self-isolation, while "a few of the players haven't been feeling great".
He continued: "We've all got families. I've got an 81-year-old father who lives on his own and I can't go to see him now because we don't know where we are.
"We have players who have young families, young children, parents and grandparents.
"There's no common sense in playing this game today."
Despite the National League's decision to go ahead with the weekend's fixtures, six fifth-tier games were subsequently called off - all of them because of issues relating to coronavirus.
That meant just five 15:00 GMT matches remained on Saturday, although attendances across the division were generally up.
The National League said on Friday that it would "remain in compliance with government advice" and "places the welfare and wellbeing of all those involved in and connected to its competition as the highest priority".
A further update on Saturday, external thanked fans, players, officials, staff, volunteers and sponsors who were involved in the 23 matches played across the National League, National League North and National League South.
Chief executive Michael Tattersall said: "Our thoughts are with the players and staff of our clubs who are self-isolating or otherwise affected by coronavirus.
"The National League is keeping the continuation of the season under constant review and will provide a further update in due course."
'It's about people's lives'
Alan Devonshire, whose Maidenhead United side were beaten at home by Stockport County, said "football is second to what life is".
He told BBC Radio Berkshire: "It's about people's lives. How we're playing today, I do not know.
"The EFL and the Premier League have made a decision, near enough every other league has followed them, and how the National League hasn't you'll have to ask them. It's wrong."
The crowd at Maidenhead's York Lane ground was up by more than 300 compared to the previous Saturday afternoon game there in the National League
Eastleigh boss Ben Strevens said there was "no way whatsoever" the games should have been played.
"Our players are young, fit athletes and it's nothing to do with that," he told BBC Radio Solent. "It's the supporters coming here today, we've got a kit man who's an old boy, there are stewards who are older and they're most at risk of this virus.
"By Monday all of the games will be stopped, 100% they will, because of how many games were called off today.
"There are things more important than football and people have to realise that."
'You'd be naive to think nobody has got it'
Chesterfield were critical of the decision to go ahead with Saturday's game at Dover in a statement released on Friday, with company secretary Ashley Carson saying they "did not support the decision at all".
Pemberton said after the match that it would be "naive" to think nobody within his club has the virus.
"We played Harrogate 10 days ago and four [people at the club] have gone into self-isolation, which means either they've got it or we've given it to them," said the former Sheffield United player.
"There's no common sense. You've got Arsenal, with one of the best medical departments in the world, Leicester, Chelsea… and their players have got it. You'd be naive to think nobody at Chesterfield has got it."
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