Devon FA have finally kicked off their County Cup Finals for the 2019-2020 season, despite the new season being just around the corner, writes Dan Eustice.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the FA took the decision on March 16, to suspend all grassroots football in England.

Weeks and months passed with no football, with people wondering if we would ever get back to playing and watching the beautiful game. Four months after the initial decision to suspend all football across England, the UK Government approved the FA’s plan for the return of outdoor competitive grassroots football, which was a huge boost for everyone involved in football across Devon.

Competitive matches and pre-season fixtures have been able to take place since the start of August, and leagues can continue from the start of September, which is fantastic news.

At Devon FA, we are trying to get as many of our Cup Finals played as possible, albeit a little bit later than we would have liked!

The finals were scheduled to be played between March and May, as they are every year. So we are delighted to finally have teams playing and enjoying our fantastic new 3G facility.

A lot of hard work and dedication has gone into the planning and building of the 3G, and it was a real shame that it couldn’t have been used sooner.

The FA announced last week that after working with the DCMS and Sports Ground Safety Authority that spectators can now return to grounds at Step 3 and below, in a limited capacity.

This news is welcomed by the Devon FA, and means we can have a limited number of fans inside Coach Road. Spectators must ensure that they are following club risk assessments and social distancing guidelines at all times, as well as acting responsibly.

It’s important that all participants in grassroots football abide to the guidelines, to ensure that everyone stays as safe as possible to reduce the risk of spreading the virus and to allow football to continue.

You can read all the guidance on our website: https://www.devonfa.com/about/coronavirus---help