Wick manager Manson keen to see Highland League fixture list drawn up
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Wick Academy manager Gary Manson is looking forward to seeing what form the new Highland League season will take as clubs await the outcome of a management committee meeting this weekend.
The league has been suspended since March because of the coronavirus pandemic but Saturday's meeting is likely to plot a way forward, giving clubs a long-awaited indication of when the 2020/21 campaign will kick off and how many games the teams will play.
League secretary Rod Houston has been in talks with the Scottish Football Association and says he is "reasonably confident" the SHFL can start in mid-October.
Manson, who was confirmed as the Scorries' manager in early July, has been busy this summer getting his squad in place while waiting for official guidance on when competitive action can resume.
"It would be handy now to get a fixture list published so we can finalise our pre-season schedule," Manson said today. "We've been working in the background putting together a programme for when we get back to training, but until we know when our first competitive game will be it is difficult to finalise those plans.
"Hopefully it won't be too long before we get the fixture list – that will help to make it feel a bit more certain, and we can really look forward to getting back then."
Houston is expecting plans for the season to be finalised on Saturday, while pointing out that any start date will be on a provisional basis.
“The meeting will have the final determination and anything we announce is provisional,” he said. “All it needs is a spike [in virus cases] in the wrong place and we’re snookered.
“Any calendar or set of dates will be fragile because of the unknowns out there. But the fact that we can have a date, or at least consider a date, is encouraging.”
The Championship, League One and League Two are reducing the number of league matches from 36 to 27. Their seasons will start on October 17.
It has not been confirmed whether the SHFL intends to reduce the number of league fixtures, although this may be seen as giving the best chance of completing the season. Clubs could play each other once over the coming campaign instead of the traditional home-and-away format.
“Our emphasis is on staging competitions we can complete, especially if there are interventions from the pandemic or the weather. We anticipate posting an announcement on Saturday,” Houston said.
"We have had model fixture lists on the stocks for some time now – it’s just a case of taking it down now and tailoring it to the dates and fitting everything in. All being well I would hope to be announcing fixtures within the fortnight."
He added: "Clubs are working up their training plans just now and looking to make a start over the next couple of weeks, which is great. They will feel a good sense of relief that they are getting going on that.
"We are looking to mid-October [for a league start] and we are feeling reasonably confident. But there’s a heck of a lot of work to be done before then by the clubs."
Academy have brought in defender Andrew Hardwick and goalkeeper Graeme Williamson as well as signing teenage duo Grant Aitkenhead and Mark Macadie, while contract extensions have been agreed for many of the first-team regulars.
Manson said: "I'm happy with how the squad is shaping up but I wouldn't rule out possibly one or two more coming before the start of the season."
