Plans in place as the lockdown begins

Andy Peaks and Gary Mills will be looking to their players to take care of themselves and stay fit during the new national lockdown.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Corby Town have seen their respective Pitching In Southern League Premier Central and Division One Central campaigns suspended until at least December 2 following the start of the new Covid-19 restrictions today (Thursday).

The Football Association confirmed on Tuesday that all ‘non-elite’ football matches and training would be paused for the duration of the lockdown.

And while that has resulted in understandable frustration for the managers, they are now expecting their players to keep themselves in shape for whenever the season resumes.

Diamonds boss Peaks said: “It’s very frustrating but this is the reason why I emphasised that we should be enjoying our football.

“I certainly felt that we would get some blips along the way and hopefully this is just a small one.

“We trained on Tuesday, we had a good chat and they are a good group. It’s up to them to tick over. We will be talking to each other in group chats but it’s an individual thing, they need to make sure they are fit and ready to go.

“I trust them and it’s up to them to make sure they don’t let themselves down. It’s the same for every club. We all have to do our own things and I am sure we will be ready.”

The Steelmen go into the lockdown sitting on top of Division One Central.

And Mills said: “We trained again on Tuesday and the players will now all have a plan of what to do over the next few weeks to maintain that fitness which is vitally important for when we do start again.

“We have to get on with it but it’s just important now that the players stay focused.

“We have got ourselves mentally fit as well as physically fit and I have to make sure we are still in the same place when we return.”