CONFIRMATION of a ban on amateur football in Forth Valley has put a halt to Sauchie Amateurs' season before it even got started.

Last Thursday, October 8, the Scottish Football Association confirmed that all football activity for those aged 18 and over is not permitted in the Forth Valley Health Board area, with some leagues exempt including the Scottish Professional Football League and the East of Scotland Leagues, where Alloa Athletic and Sauchie Juniors play, respectively.

The government's ban on adult contact sports for the next two weeks, in an attempt to reset the rising number of new positive Covid-19 cases, has postponed the league before it even began.

Callum MacAulay, one of Sauchie Amateurs' co-founders and club secretary, was gutted to see the adult's team have to delay their season opener.

He said: "It's great to be back but at the same time the adults are just back and they've got to stop again."

The men's team were due to travel to Broadwood Stadium last Sunday, October 11 to play Cumbernauld Colts but the game was postponed, as was this weekend's match against Villa Park.

The Scottish Amateur Football Association's website states these measures "will remain in place until midnight on Sunday, October 25 at the earliest."

Thankfully, the club's two younger teams are still able to play under the current regulations, however it's a blow to the adult's team who had been training since last month in preparation for the match.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the adult's team, Callum is relieved to have the younger kids playing again as the long lay-off forced the closure of another age group.

He explained how the club had to fold their 2008 team because of impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Callum added: "With everybody being away from football for five months, the boys lost interest in it.

"The young ones were playing on Saturday. They're just glad to be back playing."