Just when football returns will determine whether something can be salvaged from the 2020-21 season.

The Bermuda Football Association met with the clubs via Zoom for their semi-annual congress meeting on Thursday night, when the clubs were updated on the situation. This weekend will mark two months since the last matches were played on December 5, two months of backlogged matches that could be difficult to make up in the 2½ months that remain in the schedule.

Still, the BFA is hopeful the season can be completed, the priority being the league before attention switches to the two cup competitions.

“Right now we are in phase two of the Return to Play and we are eagerly awaiting information on how and when we will move through the phases,” explained Shannon Burgess, chairman of the competitions committee.

“The competitions committee has created a blueprint and that blueprint will likely include midweek matches. We’ve given ourselves a tentative cut-off date of the last week of April to complete the league play.

“Once we have an indication as to when we recommence, we will then look to finalise the schedule for the league and also we will have an idea how and when we can complete the Friendship and Shield competitions, and the FA Cup competition.”

Ernest Peets, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, recently revealed that competitive sport will resume in phase four — Return to Play.

The football season was two rounds of games short of the halfway stage of the league matches, while the first round of the FA Cup, which was scheduled for January 16 and 17 never took place. In fact the draw was not made on January 1, the day the Friendship Trophy and Shield finals should have been played.

Burgess admitted that a likely option is extending the season into May in order to finish at least the cup competitions. “It really does depend on when we can move into phase four which is the phase when we can recommence competitive matches,” Burgess stated.

“We’re working with the Bermuda Cricket Board and we’re keen to allow them use of certain cricket venues towards the end of our season so that they can prepare for the start of their season.

“There is a possibility that we will play the cup matches right at the end, even going into May, but having midweek evening matches so that they don’t conflict with [cricket] matches on the weekend.”

Some football grounds, such as Police Field, Garrison Field, Goose Gosling Field, Bernard Park and the National Stadium at the National Sports Centre do not host cricket, and could possibly be available for games in May, although only two of those grounds — Goose Gosling Field and the National Stadium — can stage night matches.

Somerset and PHC Field both have lights but the latter, which was in the schedule to host a game between PHC and Somerset Eagles last Saturday, is not ready to stage night games.

“Unfortunately, PHC has been delayed so they will not be ready for night matches this year,” Burgess said. “So for the midweek matches we will have to work with Goose Gosling Field, Somerset and the National Sports Centre.

“I’ve been made to understand that Somerset are on the way to resolving their [light] issues.”

Robin Hood, still unbeaten after eight league games, are leading the Premier Division by five points over Devonshire Cougars and PHC, and with a game in hand on both. Five points also separate the bottom five teams, Devonshire Colts, Southampton Rangers, St George’s, X-Roads and Somerset Eagles, in the relegation fight which is supposed to see three teams going down this season.

Already there are six rounds of league matches to be made up, along with three rounds of Friendship Trophy and Shield matches, which were halted at the quarter-final stage.

“We all just have to take a sensible approach, the health risks are our priority, so we will be guided by the Ministry of Health, the Minister of National Security and the Department of Youth and Sports,” Burgess added.

“We have looked at the schedule, we have a blueprint and we know how we can schedule matches to complete the season, depending on how soon we can start.

“There are too many unknown factors right now to even be optimistic. All we can do is position ourselves to assess the situation as things develop and make a decision from there.”

Burgess said: “If we are able to recommence, the season will finish with the FA Cup. The league campaign will likely be finished before we start the FA Cup competition.

“Our blueprint was well received. I think the clubs are appreciative that a lot of work goes into this, obviously. I think we are all on the same page — health is our priority and, when it is safe to return, we’ll be ready to get the teams back on the field.”