NEWPORT County AFC top scorer Padraig Amond is adamant that the 2019-2020 campaign must be completed and all talk of the season being declared null and void should be rejected.

All English Football League fixtures are currently suspended until at least April 30, although it may be a lot longer before the players are back in action.

County are 15th in the League Two table with 10 games left to play and have little chance of reaching the play-offs.

But Amond says the remaining games must be played so that teams are able to battle for promotion and to avoid relegation.

“Some are saying the season should be declared null and void [but] I don’t think that should happen,” wrote the 31-year-old in his weekly column for the Carlow Nationalist newspaper.

“The likes of Liverpool, who are so far clear at the top of the table, shouldn’t have their probable first Premier League title taken away from them and the same goes for all those teams in the promotion places all the way through the football pyramid.

“There are major problems and decisions ahead for the Premier League and EFL about what will happen if the season is suspended with big implications for clubs at all levels.

“Some clubs will be struggling without a source of income and, in turn, players will be affected.

“I don’t know what solution is best but I am glad I am not one of the decision makers.”

South Wales Argus:

Amond and his Exiles teammates were given some time off after the league was suspended on March 13 and have been training in isolation for the past week.

“We trained as normal [until March 13] but obviously we were taking precautions in and around the training ground to try and make sure we weren’t spreading the virus,” said the striker.

“Then we got confirmation that the Premier League and the English Football League were suspending all leagues.

“It was a very unusual day as we had started to prepare fully for our game on Saturday [at Stevenage] but when word came through at 11am that it was off, we weren’t sure what to do.

“We are taking all the necessary advice from the medical professionals and hopefully it won’t be too long, and everyone can get back to enjoying sport in the coming weeks.

“As frustrating as it is for everyone to not be playing sports, the governing bodies have certainly made the right call to suspend all activities. They had no choice and I’m surprised it took [so long].

“The main thing is that they made the right decision but no-one knows what will happens in the future,” added Amond.

“Some things are more important than sports and I know there are a lot of people affected badly by the coronavirus.

“I hope everyone who has it can get better soon. And it’s not only those who have it who are being affected.

“People are out of work for a couple of weeks minimum so hopefully everything settles down as soon as possible.

“But that will only happen by listening to the advice of people who know what they are taking about.”

Amond is one of six players up for the County player of the year award, along with goalkeeper Tom King, defender Ryan Haynes, midfielders Josh Sheehan and Joss Labadie and utility man Scot Bennett.

Votes can be made by visiting southwalesargus.co.uk/sportsawards.

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