THE VICS COLUMN – by Peter Tonge

HAPPY New Year to you all, if indeed it can be happy with no football to look forward to in the near future.

It looks doubtful that in the current situation the North West Counties League will restart before March at the earliest, and this of course begs the question whether the league in its present form can be completed in time this current season.

This would mean teams playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday every week until the end of May and no games being postponed because of the weather – which I feel would be an unlikely event, especially for those teams up in the hills of Lancashire.

So what is to be done? No-one wants another null and void season but what possibilities are there?

Well, apart from deciding to promote the top three teams at the moment (Vics being third at the moment…well one can dream!) then a Champions League-style competition could be the answer.

Four leagues of five teams would play each other twice, with the top two and bottom two of each league then playing in two knockout competitions respectively to decide promotion and relegation places.

However, this isn’t for me to decide and I certainly wouldn’t want to be on the board of the North West Counties League having to decide in how to finish the season. Any thoughts anybody?

There is one bit of club information this week, namely the start of “The NVFC 200 Club“ Lottery draw.

Basically, for a monthly payment of just £5, you are entered into a weekly draw as well as a bumper monthly draw for cash prizes.

Anyone can enter, not just Vics’ supporters, so why not give it a try – you’ve certainly got more chance of winning something then you have in the National Lottery!

If you are interested, please go to our website at www.northwichvictoriafc.com where a mandate form can be found or contact Darren Barrow via email at daznvfc@mail.com or on 07596 277443 for more information.

This initiative, which has been long in the making waiting for the appropriate licences, has come at just the right time as with the league suspended again and with no opportunities to hold fund-raising events, it will enable us to get a regular cash flow into the club during these difficult financial times for everyone.

The club would like to thank Darren and Tommy Barrow for all their hard work in making this “NVFC 200 Club” possible and in agreeing to run this vital initiative.

In the meantime, NVFC wishes you all a much better 2021 full of joy, prosperity and football. Stay safe.