Dave Challinor verdict on uncertainty facing Hartlepool United and National League clubs over contracts and 2020-21 campaign

All football was suspended in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the National League season ended soon after, though promotion and relegation issues are still to be decided with the league bosses waiting to see what the EFL do first.

Pools have eight players under contract and Challinor has been reflecting on the challenges facing clubs given there are fears it could be January before football is allowed to start again in the fifth tier.

When asked how Challinor anticipated the National League looking next season, the Pools boss told the Mail: “It’s very tough to anticipate what the changes might be.

“I know League One and League Two have been talking about salary caps, we’re looking at things at the moment and I think there will have to be some inventive ideas around how contracts run for example.

“Further down the line, I think things will settle down but at the moment with the uncertainty over when football starts, and even if we look at a worse case scenario say football does start in January then ultimately there are players that are contracted for next year already so what happens over those six months when players are being paid with potentially no income coming in?

“That’s where the problems will be and obviously the uncertainty around being able to sign players and when contracts will run from and how they will look.

“You’ve got to look at worst case scenarios but hopefully we get a positive announcement off the Government soon which allows us not to go back to normal by any stretch but gives a bit more certainty over how the future will look.

“Then best case scenario, we can be back playing football safely around September, October time.

“If that’s the case then I think you can get away with how contracts are where people are.”