With grassroots football returning on Monday, the chairman of the Islington Midweek Football League spoke about his experiences post Covid-19.

Over the past year, grassroots football has been stop-start because of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns.

Grassroots-football-set-to-return-at-the-end-of-March

One of the leagues affected has been the Islington Midweek Football League, which hosts over 30 teams across four divisions at Market Road.

Peter Panayiotou, 51, Islington Midweek Football League chairman, said: “The last time a competition was suspended was the Second World War.

“You would be surprised how quickly money has dried up, for us to survive we had to think with a business-like mentality, we had to think outside the box.”

Peter was also keen to mention the impact lockdown has had on the mental health of the players, managers and referees - a side he feels is often overlooked.