The Fermanagh and Western Management Committee will meet tonight (Thursday) via Zoom to discuss proposals for the completion of the current season.

With football still postponed due to the on-going Covid-19 crisis a decision will have to be made on whether to finish the season on the pitch, with activities currently postponed until May 31, or if the season is to finish now then what would be the best option within that.

The Management Committee will discuss the proposals and then look to bring recommendations to the clubs who will make the final decision which will have to be relayed to the IFA who have written to all affiliated leagues asking for their plans for the completion of the season by Saturday May 16.

Where these plans fall outside existing rules, these must be approved by a majority of clubs.

The first proposal that will be discussed will be to finish the season although this is purely hypothetical at the minute as it is dependent on government regulations.

Fermanagh and Western Match Secretary, Malcolm McVitty, has drawn up a fixture schedule for outstanding matches. This would require nine rounds of fixtures which could be completed in five weeks if fixtures ran Saturday and Tuesday or three and half weeks if they ran Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday.

If football was to return at the start of June then the season could be completed in early July although teams may wish for a training period before returning to games.

If the postponement is extended though then concluding could prove difficult as the IFA have stated that an extension is unlikely to be granted beyond July 31.

It may be a case that the clubs decide to finish the season on the pitch but if games have not started by a certain date then they resort to an alternative option.

The options that the Fermanagh and Western are proposing if the season are to end now include the season being declared null and void and the 2020/21 season will begin with all the same teams in the same divisions as they started the 2019/20 season. However, while this may be the simplest solution, it has issues for sporting integrity as four teams, namely Enniskillen Athletic and Mountfield in Division Two, Enniskillen Galaxy in Division Three and Lisbellaw United Reserves in Reserve Division Two, have already secured promotion for next season. To cancel the rest of the season would therefore deny these teams the move they have already earned.

With that in mind, another option up for discussion would be to increase the size of relevant divisions to accommodate those teams who have gained promotion while all other teams remain in their respective divisions and no trophies are awarded.

The third option would be to produce league tables based on average points and award trophies as well as complete promotion and relegation on this basis.

Again this has issues for sporting integrity as you are awarding titles to teams who have not mathematically secured them while you are also relegating teams who still have a chance to secure safety if all the games were completed.

If this option was used then Tummery Athletic would be declared Mercer League champions with Dergview Reserves and Omagh Hospitals relegated from Division One.

In Division Two, Mountfield would be promoted as champions with Enniskillen Athletic joining them in the top flight while Fintona Swifts and Strule United would drop down in Division Three.

And in Division Three, Derrychara United would go up as champions with Enniskillen Galaxy and Orchard Farm also promoted.

In the Reserve Divisions there would be titles for Enniskillen Rangers Reserves, Lisbellaw United Reserves and Irvinestown Wanderers Reserves.

It would seem then there is plenty for the Fermanagh and Western to ponder and discuss ahead of a decision being made on concluding the season.