With just nine games of the National League North 2019/20 season remaining, Bradford Park Avenue appear glued to the foot of English's sixth tier.
Mark Bower's men have had a disastrous season, opening up their league campaign with back-to-back 5-0 defeats against opponents whose season has not reflected those early victories. Onto their third manager at this late point, Avenue have also had Bradford City legend Garry Thompson and ex-Kettering Town manager Marcus Law holding the reigns at the Horsfall stadium but both did not enjoy their stay in West Yorkshire. With old and new players departing and joining the club, it truly has been a shipwreck of a season for BPA.
Park Avenue are currently 12 points wayward of survival and have achieved a woeful 20 points out of a possible 99 so far this season, having won just five of those 33 matches. Despite two hard-fought victories over Chester and Kings Lynn Town in recent fixtures, a late great escape was slowly fading as a possibility with time running out, and all hope appeared lost at Horsfall.
Until a deadly virus struck.
Following Covid-19's infectious rise, the majority of the football world made the decision to suspend all football for the unforeseeable future to prevent its chances of spreading and endangering lives. However it has left the remaining of the season in doubt, with two options emerging for the FA to consider; whether the season should be finished at a much later date, or if it should be declared as null and void.
In recent days the FA has made the decision to expunge the seasons of clubs playing in steps 3-6 of non-league football, meaning that none of the clubs in promotion positions will be achieving promotion at the end of the season and those facing relegation live to fight for the next season. In other terms, the teams who are playing in those steps of football will be playing in the exact same league next season, which is excellent news for Yorkshire side Steeton AFC who have now survived relegation due to the FA's brave decision.
Whilst the National League North and South are not included in steps 3-6 of non-league, it does mean that those sides in the relegation zone will not be facing their fate at the end of the season, as no clubs are being promoted from the league below and therefore a complete restructure of the National League North and South would be required. And somehow, BPA have managed to survive in their underwhelming 2019/20 campaign. This is a sparing which Mark Bower will gratefully accept, as it will allow him to sort out the clubs poor squad with new additions and he will hope to build stability for next season.
This really could be the start of something better for the Avenue, with stadium plans in place and being allowed to stay in the National League North, it is a lucky escape the club really needed.
Also, this has raised the question whether the FA will replicate this decision in the higher divisions, such as the Championship or the Premier League.
Will Liverpool and Leeds United finally celebrate their long-awaited success? Or will it be taken away from them, like the likes of Jersey Bulls FC? A club whose season has been null and voided despite them having already secured promotion after an unbeaten season, but will continue to apply their trade in the same league next year? Only time will tell.
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