SUPPORTERS are having their work cut out knowing what to make of recent WoSFL board statements that have seen Premier Division front-runners Clydebank and fellow SFA-licensed pair Darvel and Irvine Meadow remaining on track to be declared title winners and earn a crack at promotion into the Lowland League.

The board’s stated intention last week to declare the 2020/21 season null and void if twin deadlines were not met - a re-start of April 3 for training sessions and April 17 for competitive games - is understandable in light of the need for the Premier Division champions to be determined no later than May 22 to allow for participation in the Lowland League Play-offs.

Yet it remains to be seen whether their call to arms will be welcomed by 34 Conference clubs whose quest for their own respective Divisional title honours appears to have been rendered inconsequential.

Further controversy was added to the mix by another WoSFL announcement on Friday which stated:

“The Scottish FA have confirmed that clubs may return to organised non-contact training from Friday 12th March and the following guidance must be fully adhered to by all member clubs:

"All activity must be outdoors at an appropriately risk assessed venue.

"All activity must be non-contact, ensuring physical distancing is in place at all times before, during and after activity takes place.

"All activity must be organised within your own local authority area and players are not permitted to travel to neighbouring authorities to participate, as per Scottish Government travel restrictions.

"It is recommended that activity is limited to twice a week and for a maximum of 60 minutes per session.

"All group activity must consist of a maximum of 15 players and officials and all activity must contain a COVID Officer and First Aider per 1/4 of a pitch.

"All activity should avoid inter-club training, competition or events.

"Spectating is not permitted at any time and no-one should congregate at the facility or nearby.

"At no stage should groups mix and appropriate one way systems should be in place at your respective facility.

"Please ensure that hygiene measures are implemented at all times.

"All players, participants are advised to undertake a COVID-19 eLearning course if they are to participate in training.”

The ensuing outcry from team managers was not a surprise with Rob Roy’s seasoned boss Stewart Maxwell slamming the proposal as unworkable, impractical and a very risky undertaking simply not worth the reward.

"It’s clearly not football people who have come up with this nonsensical framework," he said. “Here at Rob Roy, we have a 20-strong playing squad so how to run training sessions when numbers are restricted to 15 in total [inclusive of 2 coaches] is beyond me and my feeling is we either do this all together as a team or not at all.

“Even more restrictive is this ban in place preventing players travelling to training sessions from neighbouring authorities because our squad, for example, comprises guys from as many as five local authority regions and I’ve no doubt other clubs will have an even greater scattering to overcome.

“We as a club want to be seen to observe the required protocols and mitigate any potential spread of Covid, but I don’t see how that can happen as things stand so we will not be bringing our players back.

"I don’t imagine matters will be policed so the temptation is there to pay lip service and flout the rules, but you then might be liable to a heavy fine or worse so it’s just not a risk worth taking.”

Fellow top-flight boss Stuart Davidson, now in his fifth season in charge of Largs Thistle, was in agreement.

“I would describe the proposal on a resumption of training as total waste of time and clubs should collectively shun away from entertaining the idea," he said.

“I live in Paisley, as do several of our players, while others are from Inverclyde, Ayrshire, Glasgow and Lanarkshire, so we could possibly have five players at best at a session if we followed these WoSFL guidelines.

“The whole concept is doomed to fail without a bit of cheating or rule-bending at best and some might think clubs are being actively encouraged to break the laid down Coronavirus rules. If they don’t want us to get back playing then just come out and say it.”

On the comings and goings front comes word of Ryan Stevenson (Troon) and Jambo McKernon (Darvel) signing for League Two strugglers Albion Rovers whose manager Brian Reid has been forced to admit defeat in his pursuit of Grant Evans (Pollok) because of a change in the defender’s work commitments.