NON-LEAGUE veteran Nicky Clee is afraid another campaign being brought to an early close could cost him again as his career winds down.

The Bradford (Park Avenue) vice-captain struggles to see how this turbulent season can resume with further grant funding not in sight.

After missing the Farsley Celtic game, his club have again informed the National League that tonight's trip to Blyth Spartans will not go ahead.

The resolution vote is what they are waiting for and it seems to be going only one way in the Vanarama National League North. At time of writing, clubs have voted 9-3 in favour of null and void.

Clee,37, had been one of Avenue's most consistent performers in their 18 games up to this date. With the rest of his playing days in mind, the midfielder wants to get back out there as soon as possible - but he is not counting his chickens.

"It has been weird," he said. "I just think the whole thing is not ‘elite’.

"You can’t blame the clubs because they are being told if you want to finish then season then you are going to have 10 years’ worth of debt. Who in their right mind would do that? It does not make any business sense.

"There is no point risking the future of a football club for four months of football.

"It was difficult to start this year, it was seven months without playing a game which for someone my age is quite a long time. So, it will be tough to do it again.

"I have been playing alright. I have started 14 games and I bet I have contributed to nine or ten goals this year which I think is pretty good. I just wish I could keep doing it."

Only Brackley Town's hosting of Chorley was completed at the weekend in the league, and with pretty much a full round of fixtures scheduled for today, it is expected a similar situation will unfold.

Even if clubs were to resume playing, Clee thinks most would be at a disadvantage.

He added: "Half the teams in our league are training, playing friendlies and games, and the other half are sat furloughed waiting for a phone call to decide what to do. The whole thing is a bit of a farce.

"If suddenly they say you are going to play, we might not have played for four weeks.

"Imagine you got the go-ahead and your first game was York, they have been training full time and we won't have touched a ball for over a month."

The National League are set to introduce lateral flow Covid testing, free of charge, from the start of next week.

Clee, who works in an office so can either go in or stay at home, is glad to see it finally happen.

"The clubs are doing everything they can in terms of social distancing.

"We are classed as ‘elite’ but at this level for most players it is not their main source of income.

"You have got players in our team who are teachers. Imagine the parents of those kids knowing you are playing football then coming into school."