The first Saturday of the COVID-19 suspension...

So, indeed as I feared at the time, it looks most likely that last Saturday's visit to Huntingdon Town will prove to be my last groundhop of the season. Even on Monday, my local Step 5 clubs were very hopeful of playing their midweek fixtures at least. But all that changed at 5pm on Monday when Boris Johnson that all social gatherings were strongly discouraged. That inevitably translated into a total cessation of football at all levels across the country, and as the week went on, it became clear that, although games throughout March were initially postponed, the suspension will be lasting much longer than that, probably until the summer at the very earliest. The lockdown cranked up to all pubs, clubs and leisure facilities being forced to close their doors from Friday evening for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps for the first time ever, I have not really been missing football, it feels like there is so much more to think about in life right now. However, before the inevitable total lockdown arrives, I decided to go for a long walk in the countryside today, making the most of bright sunshine (oh the irony now that the football season has been suspended!) albeit with a stiff, chilly breeze in exposed spots). I certainly respected the social distancing instructions, not seeing more than half a dozen people throughout the approximate ten mile walk, although I did have to stop a couple of times to save cast sheep en route as I crossed farmland.

The tiny village of Hooe was my destination half way round, and I decided to drink the bottle of Sussex IPA from Arundel Brewery that I had brought with me at Hooe Recreation Ground, a lovely rural and peaceful setting which is where Sidley United, now of the Mid Sussex League but formerly of the Sussex County League, play their home fixtures since their eviction from The Gullivers in 2013. It's a very rural, basic venue, with a wooden hut housing the changing rooms and a tea bar set some way behind one of the goals, and is naturally enclosed by trees.

So I did indeed spend this Saturday afternoon at a football ground...but this is as close as it will get to the matchday experience for the next few months sadly. But the overriding feeling for me is that pales into insignificance as well focus on getting through this nightmarish, dangerous period and striving to remain safe and well to come out the other side.