When Saturday comes………nothing

One of the most important days of the week as far football fans are concerned is Saturday but here we have the first weekend of the total suspension on the beautiful game – not a match to be played anywhere, unfortunately.

The 2019-20 football season, in keeping with most other aspects of normal life, has been suspended until further notice on the back of Coronavirus. Instead of preparing for a home game against Runcorn Linnets, our heroes and footballers all over the country will have to come to terms with the void this weekend.

It is our first experience of the football season being put on hold since the outbreak of World War Two early in the 1939-40 campaign.

That remains the only season where Workington didn’t win a match, nor were they beaten on home soil. The favourite ‘quiz question’ conundrum is based on the fact that Reds had only played three North Eastern League games when regular football was shelved – not for a few weeks but for the best part of six years!

We kicked off on 26 August, 1939 with a 1-1 home draw against Annfield Plain followed by defeats at Spennymoor United (3-5) and Sunderland Reserves (0-4) but the day after the latter, 3 September 1939, all North Eastern League fixtures were cancelled.

The League, at a meeting held in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, decided to reorganise the NEL on a war-time footing with two sections – Central and Durham – but both Carlisle United Reserves and Workington were excluded on account of their isolation and travelling difficulties.

Following the cancellation of all football for an indefinite period, the club dispensed with the services of their professional players who were paid off.

However, Reds played two friendly matches shortly after losing 6-3 at Holker Street in September and 2-1 at Borough Park a fortnight later.

Football returned to Borough Park on 1 September, 1945.