SAUCHIE boss Fraser Duncan says his side can start to prepare for next season after a decision was made on the league's outcome.

Duncan's team have not played a competitive match this year and have been in limbo waiting for a decision to made on the East of Scotland Football League.

The league tweeted late on the afternoon of Sunday, April 11 that almost three quarters – 73 per cent – of the league's teams voted for the season to be declared null and void.

Duncan told Advertiser Sport: "We've been in limbo just sitting waiting. You get a wee glimmer of hope sometimes when it might come back, but it's probably better calling it a day.

"I'm fine it's over now, at least I can tell the players it is what it is, let's start getting ourselves built for next season and take it from there."

There was discussion about restarting the current league campaign at some point but Duncan admits he "didn't see the point."

He continued: "We were in a position – I would have liked to go back if we were going to play all the league games.

"But to go back just to play five league games would just be five games going through the motions for us because we're safe – we'd never have got ourselves in any bother, so I didn't see the point in it, I didn't feel there was any need for it.

"They've called it a day and that's us, we can get ourselves started for next year now."

The uncertainty of the league meant it was a struggle to try and sign new players, with most understandably preferring to wait and see what decision would be made.

Duncan said: "Now I can go and speak to them and say the season is officially starting on July 17 and this season's finished so we can move on and talk about next year."

Furthermore, recent government announcements mean the club can now begin to prepare for a return to training.

Duncan continued: "We're buzzing to get back, it's been a long, long time we've had to wait for this.

"It's important we don't get the boys back too early, we need to give them plenty of time to get back into it; the amount of injuries we had at the start of this season was just incredible.

"That hampered our form so we need to make sure we give the guys the right time to get back into the flow of things.

"It'll be a slow start, we'll probably come back at the start of June and that'll give us six weeks to get prepared."