The Covid-19 crisis has claimed another big sporting scalp with the news that the 2020 Ottery St Mary Football Club junior tournament weekend has been cancelled.

Ottery chairman Mikey Ringer says: “It is with regret that we have had to cancel this year’s summer tournament.

“It’s a huge blow having to do this as it was set to be bigger and better than anything we had previously put on.

“However, for the sake of clarity and, given the fact that no one knows when the current restrictions will be lifted, it is difficult to plan, and our weekend long tournament requires considerable planning.”

He continued: “We did look at moving it back to later in the year, but this in it, raises other issues as we will, hopefully be also planning and preparing for a new football season.

“We also considered a scenario where we might have got the ‘all-clear’ by the end of June, but the work that would be needed to be done by our volunteers in such a short space of time on top of the fact that all those involved in planning things for us would also be full steam ahead sorting out their own lives and business post covid-19 crisis, makes it all impossible.”

He added: “With all things considered, and with heavy hearts, we took the decision to cancel this year’s tournament. We are in the process of contacting those teams that had already entered and offered a full refund or free entry into next years competition; this is something that I have mulled over in my own mind for some time now. It’s a club event that I am passionate about, but let me assure the good folk who do enjoy being involved with this very special event that we will be back in 2021 with an even bigger and better tournament - the planning of which has already begun!”