NEILSTON co-manager Derek Carson has backed a decision by the West of Scotland Football League to scrap the 2020/21 campaign...even though he had set his sights on winning the title.

The ongoing coronavirus crisis has now led to the season being declared null and void, bringing an end to months of frustration and uncertainty for Carson and his players.

The Farmer’s Boys were sitting pretty at the top of Conference B after winning all eight of the games they had played but wouldn’t have gained promotion, as a number of clubs, including Arthurlie, decided not to take part in this season’s WoSFL set-up.

League bosses weren’t able to use an average points-per-game system to work out the final standings either, as clubs had agreed at the beginning of the season that it could only be brought into play if more than half of the fixture list had been completed.

However, with training and matches suspended since January, Carson admits it is something of a relief that a final decision has been made, with coaches and players no longer left in limbo.

He told Barrhead Sport: “All we were looking for was someone to say we were going to start back or we weren’t.

“Everyone is disappointed but at least we know now and we can start preparing for next season.”

Carson believes trying to salvage what was left of the season after a pause of more than two months would have been a logistical nightmare.

He said: “Obviously, you’re trying to limit the amount of travelling and the amount of times you’re meeting up but, if we had been able to start back, we’d probably have been playing Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

“You would be meeting up more often than you would be if it was just Saturday fixtures.

“You would need to play midweek to try and get all the games in.

“I honestly think when they made the decision to class us as elite sport, they didn’t realise how many teams were involved below League Two and, once they found out how many boys would be travelling about, that scared them a wee bit.”

The WoSFL said the decision to declare the 2020/21 campaign null and void will allow clubs to prepare for next season.

A spokesperson added: “Details will be issued in due course.”