Following our announcement on Monday 16th March advising that all grassroots football in Lancashire should be postponed for the foreseeable future, we have received a number of queries regarding Clubs continuing to play friendlies and train.

The Lancashire FA stance on Monday was based upon The FA’s alignment with Government Policy at the time, which asked people to avoid social contact but did not go as far as to ban mass social, sporting and other events.

If this policy changes, we will of course, reflect the new policy in our advice.

In the meantime, we strongly advise that all grassroots football, including Club training, playing friendlies and any other activities are suspended in order to prioritise following social distancing measures as much as possible, which cannot be done in the environments outlined above.

We are conscious that there will be other questions arising from this situation, and we will be developing FAQs in a response to this in the coming weeks

What is social distancing?

Social distancing measures are steps you can take to reduce the social interaction between people. This will help reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). They are:

•             Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or a new and continuous cough;

•             Avoid non-essential use of public transport, varying your travel times to avoid rush hour, when possible;

•             Work from home, where possible. Your employer should support you to do this. Please refer to employer guidance for more information;

•             Avoid large gatherings, and gatherings in smaller public spaces such as pubs, cinemas, restaurants, theatres, bars, clubs;

•             Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media;

•             Use telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services.

Everyone should be trying to follow these measures as much as is pragmatic.

For those who are over 70, have an underlying health condition or are pregnant, you are strongly advised to follow the above measures as much as you can, and to significantly limit your face-to-face interaction with friends and family if possible.