Emley AFC have pulled out of The Yorkshire Trophy, a tournament organised by Brighouse Town.
The competition is due start on April 13 but with fans not being allowed in stadia yet Emley made the decision to withdraw.
A statement on the club website reads: “Whilst we hoped to welcome supporters back to the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground in the coming weeks for a post-season first team tournament and the later stages of the U23 competition this will now not be possible.
“Only today (Tuesday 6th April) have we received the clarity we required from the Government, DCMS and the FA regarding spectators at our stadium. Unfortunately, fans will not be allowed to return until the later stages of the roadmap out of lockdown.
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“This guidance, coupled with our plans for summer pitch maintenance, as well as continued uncertainty regarding the serving of refreshments at the ground, mean we will now plan for the return of spectators during pre-season in July.
“We know this is disappointing news and we thank Vill Powell and the team at Brighouse Town for their efforts in getting a tournament off the ground.
“However, the club remains committed to completing the U23 tournament behind closed doors. We’ll also be exploring behind closed doors friendlies involving the first team squad to provide the best possible preparation for season 2021-22.”
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The Yorkshire Trophy was previously going to be called the Covid Cup after the name was chosen in a Twitter poll. However, Brighouse Town later apologised saying the name could be deemed insensitive amid a global pandemic.
