Gayle ready to accept PLCA decision if season is cancelled

Waterhouse coach, Marcel Gayle, says if the Red Stripe P5remier League (RSPL) fails to resume, he will accept any decision the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) hands down in regards to how teams are placed, relegated and promoted.

"Honestly, it's a wait and see. We have to just wait. Money has been spent and a whole lot of things would have gone through the window this season, so it cannot be a blanket decision that we should be making," he said.

"Because Waterhouse is out front it does not qualifies us to win the league. There are other teams, even at the bottom, you have teams with hopes of surviving. So for me, I will leave it in the administrators' hands and anything they decide I will accept and move on. So it's a wait and see, and anything the JFF and PLCA come up with, we will accept it," he said.

Waterhouse (54 points) are one point clear of Mount Pleasant atop the RSPL standings with four matches to go in the regular season, before the quarter-final play-offs, and Gayle does not think that leading the league qualifies them for the title.

Really difficult

Football locally and internationally has been on hold since mid-March and Gayle admitted that the more the crisis goes on, the harder it gets to keep players motivated.

"It's really difficult to keep these guys motivated. But no lives (in immediate surroundings) has been lost and we just want everyone to be safe. I think everyone is looking forward to it (league) returning. It's not me alone but everyone would love the league to start tomorrow.

"But it is difficult with livelihood being affected so extensively and with reduce earnings it is difficult for the clubs. No money is not coming in and people need to be paid. But we give thanks for what we have and we have life, and once there is life there is hope and it will get better. But until then, we just have to stay safe and preserve life," he added.

Although the world governing body FIFA has insisted that member associations suspend competitions indefinitely until the virus is brought under control, some countries, like Belgium, Holland, France and Argentina have taken the decision to cancel their domestic leagues and hand titles to the league front-runners.

Belgium was the first to cancel in April and leaders Club Brugge handed the title. The Netherlands then followed, however, no team was named winner and there was no relegation or promotion to or from the lower leagues.

The French league was the next to cancel and name league leaders Paris St Germaine champions. However, French League administrators will meet in May to decide on relegation and promotion. South American football powerhouse Argentina also called their season soon after and leaders Boca Juniors given the title. It was also decided that there would be no demotion for two seasons.