A DOUBLE dose of uncertainty over the West Midlands Football League’s future this season and beyond is making it difficult to plan ahead, admits Shawbury United boss Declan Allen.

The league, like all football, is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a host of Premier Division sides, including Shawbury, still with ten games or more left to play.

However, the fact that the division is set to disband this summer due to a Football Association restructure of the non-league pyramid means clubs have no clue where, or when, they will play next.

Allen said: “We started planning for next season back in February but obviously with what’s happened over the last couple of weeks, we’ve had to postpone those talks internally.

“It’s difficult to look forward at the moment as we don’t know what will happen and a lot of questions need answering.

“Where we are playing will have a major impact on recruitment for next season. We just have to try to plan as ahead as normally as we can.

“If we are playing in the Midland League, a lot of our northern-based players won’t want to travel – and if we are playing in the North West Counties, it will be the same for our Midlands players.”

Shawbury, currently tenants at Ludlow Stadium, are set to move back to their own town next year and Allen added: “One positive of having no football is it’s enabling everyone at the club to focus on the new ground.

“We’re hoping to have the juniors there next season and the seniors the year after.”

With 15th-placed Shawbury having no real promotion or relegation concerns, Allen added: “Whether the season finishes now or continues doesn’t affect us much.

“But with four teams supposed to be going up, for the top six or so sides, that decision has a big impact."