The Trident Leagues (the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Football Leagues) welcome the decision to allow some fans into grounds situated in Tier 3 areas (see https://www.isthmian.co.uk/update-on-a-limited-return-of-home-spectators-for–64716) However, in light of the decision of all 224 Clubs only last week to vote overwhelmingly in favour of suspending the current season the Leagues have decided to wait to see the implications of the Government’s review of the Tier system in England due on Wednesday 16th December before making any further announcements.

With apologies to all supporters, issues with our printers today mean that there will, unfortunately, be no hard copy matchday programmes on sale at the Buildbase FA Trophy First Round match against Maldon & Tiptree.

You can stil purchase an electronic version (pdf) here: https://shop.etfc.london/product/2020-10-31-enfield-town-v-maldon-tiptree-fatrophy for £2 (50p less than the hard copy cover price!). Apologies once again.

There have been draws for both the 2nd and 3rd Rounds of the Buildbase FA Trophy, and there’s plenty of incentive.

The winners of the Enfield Town v Maldon & Tiptree tie will face Bognor Regis Town at home in Round Two on Tuesday 15th December.

The winners of the 2nd Round tie will be at home again – on Saturday 19th December against either Gloucester City or Needham Market or Leiston.

The full draws are available here: https://www.thefa.com/news/2020/dec/09/fa-trophy-second-round-third-round-draws-091220

Town midfielder Percy Kiangebeni has entered into a dual-registration arrangement with Braintree Town. Braintree’s Vanarama South match at against Welling United at Cressing Road (tonight, Tuesday 8th December) has been confirmed as a fixture which will go ahead behind closed doors. Percy’s availability for Town’s FA Trophy tie against Maldon & Tiptree at the QEII Stadium tomorrow night (Wednesday 9th) will be dependent on his involvement tonight.

There are still some tickets available for the all-ticket Buildbase FA Trophy First Round match between Enfield Town and Maldon & Tiptree on Wednesday 9th December (7.45pm) available at: https://shop.etfc.london/events

Both clubs currently lie in third place in their respective divisions (Isthmian Premier and Isthmian North) so it should be a keenly contested game. Town beat Maldon 4-3 in the same competition last season in an exciting tie. Maldon have had another great run in this season’s Emirates FA Cup, only losing to League Two Morecambe in the First Round by a solitary penalty.

With the current pause in Trident Leagues fixtures (including the Isthmian League), this game will go ahead as a one-off cup tie in a Tier 2 area, with all the associated precautions that need to be taken.

AT THE MATCH WOULD ALL SPECTATORS PLEASE MAINTAIN SOCIAL DISTANCING AT ALL TIMES AND RESPECT AND FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF STEWARDS AND TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENTS.

In a Tier 2 area, it is critical that everybody observes the following key behaviours:

• HANDS – Wash your hands regularly and for 20 seconds.
• FACE – Wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
• SPACE – Stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings or increasing ventilation indoors).

At the match, the club shop will be selling disposable masks for £1 or reusable ETFC masks for £8. Irrespective of weather forecasts, please dress prepared for all seasons as you will not be able to convene in covered areas should it rain (or indeed in any circumstances). A variety of umbrellas will be available in the shop. Please help the club as much as you possibly can so that the match can take place in as safe an environment as possible for all.

As announced previously, the club have taken a number of comprehensive precautions to make the QEII Stadium safe. See the club’s video and risk assessment material here: https://etfc.london (ie on the website home page).

All spectators need to be fully aware that attendance at the match will be entirely at their own risk. You must follow government guidelines and self-diagnose before travelling to the QEII Stadium.  If you, or any of your household, are experiencing any symptoms which may be related to Covid-19, you should not travel and you should follow NHS advice. At the QEII Stadium you agree to respect others, abide with social distancing guidelines and measures that the club have put in place, and undertake to follow all advice given by ETFC stewards, officials and via tannoy announcements. There will be signage in place, and parts of the ground will be subject to a one-way system for additional safety. Toilets will be subject to social distancing measures. Umbrellas are permitted, although you should of course bear in mind the need to avoid blocking other spectators’ view.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience whilst we adapt to constantly evolving ways of working, as the club looks to do the right thing, incrementally, with the safety of all in mind.  Please use the NHS Covid-19 app at the entrance if you have downloaded it.

Please note that there will be no internal or external bar in operation, although the London Borough of Enfield have advised that our contracted matchday caterers Food Lovers Delight can operate a take away food and (non-alcoholic) drinks service, provided there is strict adherence to Tier 2 precautions, and in particular maintaining social distancing when queuing.

Hard copy matchday programmes will be available at the club shop for £2.50 (contactless or cash payment), and #GoToTown subscribers will be able to obtain their hard or electronic copy in the usual way. For other supporters, an electronic (pdf) of the matchday programme is available for £2 at: https://shop.etfc.london/product/2020-10-31-enfield-town-v-maldon-tiptree-fatrophy

In staging this match, the club will continue to take steps to ensure that lessons are learned and applied.

PLEASE ENJOY THE GAME IN A SAFE, SOCIALLY DISTANCED MANNER!

Experienced striker Adam Cunnington has signed forms for the club, and all the necessary clearances have taken place for him to be eligible for our Buildbase FA Trophy 1st round home tie against Maldon & Tiptree on Wednesday (9th December, 7.45pm).

In more recent seasons, following spells at clubs including Barwell, Solihull Moors and Kettering Town, he has enjoyed Conference experience at Tamworth and Cambridge United, Ebbsfleet and Bromley. He has also made EFL appearances for Dagenham & Redbridge as well as Cambridge.

He enjoyed the best part of three seasons at Billericay Town, and most recently wore the colours of both Hornchurch and Cheshunt. Enfield Town manager Andy Leese said “Adam is a player we have tried to sign on a number of occasions. With Shaun Okojie out injured, we felt we needed to bolster our attacking options.

“He’s already won the Isthmian Premier Division and will bring some more experience to the group. He’s played alongside Billy Bricknell before, he’s a good character and is keen to settle after a disrupted few months”.

Welcome Adam!

CHRISTMAS TREES AT ENFIELD TOWN FC!

Thanks to our sponsors GP Garden Services, supporters will be able to Order their Christmas trees before/during Wednesday night’s (9 December) Buildbase FA Trophy tie against Maldon & Tiptree at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium.

Order and then collect or home delivery:

https://www.gpgardenservices.co.uk/hd/

A further statement has been issued by the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Football Leagues in relation to the voting following meetings held by the 3 Trident Leagues with their Member Clubs to discuss the impact of the raising of the lockdown on 2nd December.

The full statement can be found here: https://www.isthmian.co.uk/trident-leagues-statement-4th-december-2020-contin-64648

In summary, there will be no league fixtures until such time as progress is achieved at review points on 16 December and 30 December. Enfield Town supporters will be updated as soon as any additional information becomes available.

The Pitching In Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues have released a joint statement, with further information to follow:

The Clubs in membership of the Northern Premier, Southern and Isthmian Leagues (the Trident Leagues) met earlier this week to consider the challenges and issues brought about by the reintroduction of Tiers after the raising of the nationwide lockdown with effect from yesterday.

The clubs were asked to vote on a proposition that the pause in fixtures be continued with a regular review in light of changes to the Tiers and/or grants becoming available. The total votes cast by the 224 Clubs show a substantial number of Clubs in agreement with the proposition. The matter has been considered today by all concerned and a further statement will be issued in due course.

https://www.isthmian.co.uk/trident-leagues-statement-covid-and-the-restart-64633

The Club’s board met last night and had a detailed discussion about the resumption of matches at Steps 3 and 4 level, including those of Enfield Town FC.  The previous evening, Isthmian League clubs had met with league officials, and the meeting concluded with a proposal for the Trident Leagues (ie Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern) to consider together, and vote upon, in favour of or against:

“That Steps 3 and 4 continue the current pause in the season with a regular review in the light of changes to the current tiers and/or grants becoming available” 

The Enfield Town board has voted in favour of this proposal.  It discussed at length a number of factors.  The overriding themes of the discussion were health, finance and the longer term benefits for the club, the Isthmian League and the Trident Leagues.  It was not an easy decision to make and, of course, we have no idea of the outcome of the overall voting on the proposal, which I understand will be announced before the end of this week.

I felt it important to let Enfield Town FC Supporters Society members and other supporters know which way the club had decided to vote.  The board were acutely aware that, as a member-owned club, it had a duty to take account of a variety of opinions on behalf of all members and supporters, and it came to a conclusion which had its primary focus on the longer term. 

I understand that a number of supporters will be disappointed with this vote which, as I say, is not the definitive way forward – that will become known sooner rather than later.  There were risks to be considered with both adopting this proposal or rejecting it (and thus paving the way for the league season to continue from 12th December).  But we had to come to a decision and I wanted you all to be aware of it openly before the outcome of the overall vote is known. If the proposal is adopted, I understand that it is likely that a series of review points will be triggered and that the current intention is that these review points could lead to a league resumption for clubs at Steps 3 and 4 in January 2021.

Separately, in a competition in which we were not offered a similar choice, the club will be continuing its participation in the Buildbase FA Trophy, and our next match in that competition – for which tickets are now on sale – will be at home to Maldon & Tiptree in the first round proper on Wednesday 9th December (7.45pm).

We have learned many lessons about staging matches this season, with Covid-19 precautions uppermost in our minds, and we will continue to take those precautions although the final decision on whether or not to attend this match (or indeed subsequent rounds if we are successful and are drawn at home again) rests with spectators themselves. 

The board will continue to update members and supporters as necessary as we continue to negotiate this most difficult of seasons. The ETFC Supporters Society Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday 21st January (7.30pm, almost certainly via Zoom link) during which members can discuss these, and other, issues in an open forum. 

Paul Reed

Chairman