Coronavirus: Truro City boss says lockdown rules on football 'nonsensical'

Former Plymouth Argyle captain Paul Wotton is in his second season as Truro City manager

Truro City manager Paul Wotton has criticised rules stopping his team from playing during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The White Tigers are fourth in the Southern League's Premier Division South, one tier below 'elite' football.

His side will not be able to train or play until 2 December.

"I just find in nonsensical. I cannot fathom how my daughter can go to school, come back and mix with the family, and no-one can go out of the house or play football," he said.

Under the lockdown rules that started in England on Thursday, 'elite' football teams down to the sixth tier of English football can still train and play, but seventh-tier sides such as Truro are unable to compete.

Truro were top of their league when last season was cancelled in March after the initial coronavirus outbreak and will have five games rearranged as a result of the second nationwide lockdown.

"I'm fully aware that Covid is one of the most horrendous things to happen for a long time in the world, but I struggle with the rules," Wotton added to BBC Radio Cornwall.

"We get our season up and running, we're fully into it and then you have to go into lockdown."

Truro have gone into the new lockdown period having won three of their past four league matches and are three points behind leaders Poole Town.

"We were just starting to get a little bit of rhythm going and now it's going to hinder that definitely, it's going to be like starting all over again," said the former Plymouth Argyle player and coach.

"We come out of lockdown on 3 December and two days later we're playing a game of football having not kicked a ball for four weeks, so you're obviously at risk of injury, so it's not an ideal situation to manage at all."