Beckenham Town chairman Paul Faires has hit out at the Football Association after their league season was declared null and void.

Town were top of the Southern Counties East Premier Division before the season was terminated and the records expunged.

Mr Faires feels there was a lack of communication with those clubs affected before a decision was made.

He said: “The most annoying thing is that there was no consultation, absolutely outrageous, someone just pressed a button and sent an email.

“They should have sat down with the clubs and thrashed it out at all levels.

“The fact that nobody was consulted, that is the biggest thing.

“We all understand this is a terrible situation, I know it more than anyone because my main [personal] business is sport sponsorship, so basically we have got nothing on Sky, no rugby league or cricket coming up, we are being hit on that side.

“Business aside, we should have been consulted. It [the decision] was completely out of the blue.”

The FA announced its decision to end football at all levels below the National League on Thursday because of the coronavirus crisis.

Their statement said: “Today’s steps take into account the financial impact during this uncertain period, whilst considering the fairest method on how the sporting outcomes for the season will be decided with the integrity of the leagues in mind.

“The FA and NLS (National League System) steps three to six have reached a consensus that their 2019-20 season will now be brought to an end, and all results will be expunged. This will mean no promotion or relegation of clubs between NLS steps three to six, and no promotion to NLS step two.”

Beckenham will now have to do it all over again if they want promotion but Mr Faires has a better idea. He wants a return to the old Kent League days.

He said: “I think this could be a prelude to reboot the whole thing. We don’t want to be in this stupid set up where we are forced into having teams outside of the Kent area in our league, no disrespect, but from Surrey and Sussex.

“I would rather we go back to a good old fashioned Kent Premier League - with us, Sheppey, Tunbridge Wells, Chatham etc, Herne Bay, Faversham, Ramsgate, Canterbury and Deal, all of those teams at the same level, Whitstable and Herne Bay, lots of local derbies, we stay in the Vase.

“Our reward for going up would be to be out of the Vase competition which is complete lunacy. No team at the next level above is going to have any chance in the FA Trophy, so you are in fact penalised.

“Our division now is as strong as the one above it. For me, I would be quite happy to go back to a good old fashioned Kent League, get rid of this ridiculous system which has been forced on us by the FA, which a lot of us don’t want us to be in.”

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