FA Cup run saved Colne, says boss Steve Cunningham, as Football Association terminates season

The Reds are one of five clubs locally that won't kick another ball this season after the FA announced that all football below the National League level will be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

BetVictor NPL North West Division rivals Clitheroe will suffer the same fate alongside Padiham, Barnoldswick Town and Nelson following the decision to end all leagues from steps three to six on the non-league pyramid with all results expunged.

The move will likely have serious ramifications for many clubs, with some missing out on promotion, though Colne may be in a better position than most.

The club raked in tens of thousands of pounds, having gone further than they’d ever gone before in both the Emirates FA Cup and the Buildbase FA Trophy.

The Reds just missed out on making the first round proper of the nation’s most prestigious cup competition when losing out to Gateshead at the International Stadium in the fourth qualifying round.

And they brushed aside Marske United, Ramsbottom United, Kidsgrove Athletic and Buxton before suffering a 3-2 defeat at home to Southport in the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy.

Cunningham’s side played a total of 11 games across those two competitions - including a couple of replays against South Shields and Ossett United in the FA Cup - but their toil could ultimately prove to be the factor that keeps the club alive: “From a football perspective it’s critical because it’s putting us under a bit of strain as a club,” said Cunningham, who is concerned about the impact that COVID-19 might have on lower league clubs.

“We’ve got no revenue streams what-so-ever and with contracted players they have to be paid. It’s difficult at the minute.

“It’s going to impact massively, but luckily there were three or four contracted players that left just before it all kicked off with the coronavirus due to not getting game time and two more went out on loan.

“If we had retained those players we would have been carrying 11 or 12 contracted players that would need paying, which would have put us in a really bad state.

“The prize money from the FA Cup and FA Trophy run has probably kept the club alive. We wanted to gain promotion, but on the back of the cup success it put us in a great position where the club hasn’t committed too much money considering it took more than £50,000.

“We haven’t spent that yet on our budget throughout the year so that’s probably going to keep the club safe.”

With the Northern Premier League making the decision to terminate the season on Tuesday due to the coronavirus outbreak, Cunningham added: “It’s a safety net for us.

“I don’t think people realise how much that pot will have saved us. We took in a lot of money, which has probably saved the club.

“It was a massive achievement for the players to get that far, but in a year or two people will be looking back and saying ‘that cup run saved the football club’.”

The National League, National League North and South, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship have not yet been cancelled.

“These are challenging circumstances for English football and all decisions taken are in the best interests of the game,” an FA statement read.

“Our primary concern will always be for the safety and welfare of clubs, players, staff, officials, volunteers and supporters during this unprecedented time.

“Today’s steps take into account the financial impact during this uncertain period, whilst considering the fairest method on how the sporting outcomes for the season will be decided, with the integrity of the leagues in mind.”