WRITING in his monthly column for the Hereford Times the Herefordshire FA chief executive officer explains the frustration of an enforced break in place.

He says: "Here we go again.

"After all the hard work put in by everyone to make sure football was able to return safely, it’s really disappointing to have to press pause again.

"I know I won’t be the only one hoping that this lockdown has the desired effect and we’re able to start getting back to normal again from December 2, as planned.

"What makes it even more frustrating is that things were progressing really well across the county.

"Thankfully, the financial impact of the ongoing pandemic has not caused the damage that many feared and we started the season with the same number of people playing as previously.

"I have no doubt this is down to the excellent work of our volunteers, who as I have mentioned previously have really excelled during these challenging times.

"This covers the whole spectrum of football, not just the 11-a-side game that we all know and love, but also our youth, walking football and small-sided variants, to name a few.

"We have also seen the female game start really strongly once again, which is great to see, including not only our league but also our Girl’s Development Centre with four teams recently playing against Shrewsbury Town in some closely fought fixtures.

"I am positive that all these areas will pick up where they left off as soon as we are able to, given the excellent feedback I regularly receive about those involved.

"Behind the scenes, we continue to work hard to ensure we are set up to succeed, not just when we are able to start football activity again, but also further into the future.

"A great deal is happening in this area and I’ll look forward to sharing more details a little further down the line."