WITTON Albion’s season will finish later than scheduled to account for the current suspension of fixtures.

The Guardian understands the Northern Premier League season will now finish two weeks later than planned, with the final round of league fixtures being played on May 22.

Providing the restrictions currently in place in England are lifted as planned, Northern Premier League fixtures are set to resume during the week commencing Monday, December 7.

However, teams are being given the option of playing matches on Saturday, December 5, if they can agree with their opposition to do so.

The FA are currently in discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport as to whether supporters will be allowed to attend games in “non-elite” leagues – those below the National League North and South – when competitions resume, as they were before the lockdown started.

Albion’s first game back is likely to be an FA Trophy home tie against Bamber Bridge as there are three rounds of that competition to fit in before Christmas.

Fixtures in all “non-elite” football leagues in England stopped on November 5 after Prime Minister Boris Johnson called a four-week nationwide lockdown to fight rising rates of coronavirus.

The tougher restrictions are due toexpire on Wednesday, December 2, when it is hoped non-elite sport across the country will be able to resume.

Witton have away trips to Stalybridge Celtic, Matlock Town, South Shields and Hyde United to reorganise as well as home games against Stafford Rangers and Buxton and the Cheshire Senior Cup clash with Crewe Alexandra

It is not yet known when the North West Counties League – which includes 1874 Northwich, Northwich Victoria, Barnton and Winsford United – intend to resume following the lockdown.

However, clubs in the Cheshire Football League have voted to start playing again on December 5 if restrictions are lifted.