The Lowland League will not resume this season with the current standings deemed final.
League bosses announced on Monday night they had decided action would not resume once the coronavirus lockdown had eased. Instead, they used a points per game average to declare current leaders Kelty Hearts as champions.
And they have also decided there will be no relegation, meaning Dalbeattie Star are safe for another year.
Before play was halted more than a month ago, Star were three points ahead of bottom club Vale of Leithen with both teams having played the same number of games, meaning they would have stayed up on the points per game average even if there was relegation.
Speaking ahead of the decision, Star boss Ritchie Maxwell reckoned it was a case of “when, rather than if” the season was abandoned and pointed out: “It’s shutdown until June 10 and the SPFL doctor has said that everyone will need a pre-season so you’re looking at another five or six weeks to get boys back to a level of fitness.
“That would take you up until late July and that’s the best case scenario, so I think it’ll just be scrapped.
“It’s difficult for the players because obviously the gyms are closed so there’s not a lot they can do.
“The vast majority at this level don’t have the sort of home set-up you see players posting on social media so I think all they can do is a bit of weights or some cycling or running.”
Now that the season has been officially ended and Star know they will be in the Lowland League next season, Maxwell can get on with assembling a squad for next term.
But that’s something else that has proved difficult during the lockdown.
“I’ve been phoning the current players to keep in touch and have emailed a few we might be interested in but it’s been difficult because you don’t know if this season is going to restart or it’s going to be a new season.”
