The Middlesex Schools’ Football Association has taken the difficult decision to abandon the 2021-22 Inter-District competitions from U12-U15 inclusive.

These competitions started later than usual and have been affected by COVID-19 related postponements, poor weather which caused a raft of games to be called off and logistical challenges around venues and kick-off times.

These factors have meant that – despite a small number of teams participating in each Secondary age group – only 50% of the matches in these competitions have been played.

With the season coming to an end and pitch availability therefore being even more challenging than would normally be the case, the Association does not believe it will be possible for the remaining fixtures to be played in a timely fashion. Therefore, it is with the greatest of reluctance that the Association has concluded that the Watkin Cup, Compton Cup, Bower Cup and Star Shield should be withheld for this season and planning should begin now for the 2022-23 season.

We are hopeful that three Boroughs who didn’t participate in this season’s competitions may be in a position to play next season and we await the results of recent consultations by English Schools’ FA in respect of their national competitions, as these may assist with creating a meaningful fixture list for our Representative Teams.