ST ASAPH City manager Daniel Brewerton has called for common sense to prevail regarding their return to the pitch in some capacity.

The Saints’ boss was left “disappointed” with the Football Association of Wales’ announcement regarding moving to phase three, which will be done in numerous stages and these plans are subject to change pending guidance from the Welsh Government.

This has left plenty speculating as to when the new season will resume for clubs below the JD Cymru Premier, with Brewerton highlighting the increase in local lockdowns as an area of concern regarding the possible playing of friendly matches initially.

He said: “I think the announcement from the FAW has left many teams disappointed, we’ve been back in training for some time now we honestly thought we’d be in a position to play club friendlies from next week.

“The challenge for us has always been trying to build the players to be ready for that next stage and keep them engaged, having a date to work towards is key, and even with the new announcement there is still a lot of uncertainty as we see a rise in cases and more regional restrictions being put in place.”

Brewerton also pointed out the logistical problems regarding playing friendlies against teams in their own division, with the Lock Stock Ardal Northern League covering a vast area of North Wales that would also see teams entering different counties.

“As a club we understand that things are constantly changing and we have to adapt to that, but I think there is a bit of common sense that should be applied,” he added.

“We’re allowed full contact training with up to 30 people on the pitch but we can’t have intra club matches that would see only 22 players on the pitch.

“When friendlies are permitted we can travel 40-plus miles to other areas to play teams from our own league but can’t play a team four miles away, that makes no sense to me at all.

“I think every manager will tell you that nobody wants to play a preseason friendly against a team from their own league, you want to prepare and set up your team to try and have the element of uncertainty over your opponent when the season starts properly.

“We’re working on a seven-week plan with the hope that are no more changes but with the current increase we’re starting to see with the number of cases I wouldn’t be surprised if theses dates were pushed back again.”