TADCASTER Albion, Pickering Town and Selby Town are all set to wait until the middle of next month before they resume their league campaigns.

The Northern Premier League - the competition in which Taddy and Pickering play - has suspended its fixtures up to and including January 12.

Selby Town’s Northern Counties East League has suspended all league fixtures until “at least” January 13.

All three sides are therefore next scheduled to play on January 16. Taddy are due to visit Ramsbottom United, Pickering to host Prescot Cables and Selby to visit East Hull.

Tier 3 guidance says that - unlike spectator-less ‘elite’ football - Steps 3 to 6 can welcome up to 15 per cent capacity. The Brewers and the Pikes play at Step 4 and the Robins at Step 6.

The sticking point will be the number of teams across the leagues in Tier 4 areas, from which non-elite sides are not allowed to travel.

Pickering Town boss Steve Roberts, prior to this latest announcement, had expressed concern about the completion of the season if another lockdown were to be announced.

This announcement will do nothing to allay any such worries.

With nine games under their belt, Pickering have played the most league fixtures of the three teams. They have 27 NPL north/west division games to go, if they are to face every side in their 19-team division home and away before the end of term, which has been extended to late May. Tadcaster have 28 fixtures remaining.

Selby have completed just six NCEL division one fixtures. Their Boxing Day match at home to Harrogate Railway Athletic, which would have been their seventh, was abandoned because of a power failure. The Robins have 32 games to play, of which at least 13 will have been rearranged fixtures.

Spectators are permitted for grassroots football in Tier 3, provided they have not travelled into or out of a Tier 3 area.

Excluding youth clubs, Tier 3 players and clubs cannot travel into or out of Tier 3 areas.