Brady insists season must be finished for the 'integrity of the game'

Cobblers' U18s head coach Jon Brady strongly believes the 2019/20 season should be played to a finish when it is safe to do so.

There continues to be much debate over how the football authorities should proceed with the season still suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Both the EFL and Premier League have this week reiterated their intention to complete the season, however it is not clear when football will be allowed to return given that the whole country remains on lockdown.

It could be June, July or even later until it's deemed safe for players to return to the pitch, although Brady still feels the current campaign must take priority even if it has a 'knock-on effect' down the line.

"I certainly think the season should be finished but it shouldn't be forced and we shouldn't come back too quickly because the health of everybody in this country is paramount and we don't want another wave of the virus as that could do more damage," he said.

"When the time is right and when the experts tell us it is safe and OK to come back, I haven't got a problem and I can't see why there will be a problem of finishing the season, even if there's a knock-on effect into next season and maybe even into the seasons thereafter.

"I feel it's important and there's been too much effort and too much sponsorship gone into the EFL and especially into the Premiership to not finish the season.

"There's a lot of money involved and if it has to be behind closed doors, that would be a problem for the lower league clubs in particular because of the income that's generated.

"But for the integrity of the game, this season needs to be finished because there's so much on the line. We're just inside the play-offs and other teams are fighting relegation, you can't just wipe a season out and say it never happened.

"And that's more so for individual players in terms of the appearances they've made, the goals they've scored and clean sheets they've got and all that stuff because that's important.

"Some players might have had the seasons of their lives so if you null and void it, that season has gone for them as well.

"The other issue is contracts that run out in the summer but I think what they could do is maybe have rolling contracts monthly or even weekly just to get to the end of the season.

"There are ways around it but they've got to make it as simple as possible and not overcomplicate it. I'd have thought we'll be advised pretty shortly."