Nithsdale Wanderers manager Dougie Taylor says he has been left disappointed after the South of Scotland League (SoSFL) was declared null and void last week.

Wanderers were sitting fifth in the SoSFL when it was suspended at the start of January due to a tightening of lockdown restrictions.

The league finally decided to follow in the footsteps of the likes of the West of Scotland Football League last week in declaring their 2020/21 season null and void.

Speaking to the Chronicle, Taylor said: “From a personal point of view, it has been a bit of a stop start season, I did not take over as manager until August. It was then two or three weeks to get everyone back in then the season started, and we only played eight games and then the league was suspended again.

“The longer the suspension went on it was inevitable there was no chance the league was going to get played and it was going to be null and voided.

“We are disappointed as coaches and players … but in the current climate safety is paramount.”

Despite having not played a game of football since January, Taylor says his side had still been carrying out training online prior to the null and void announcement.

The current restrictions from the Scottish Government now allow for the Wanderers to return to non-contact training, with Taylor saying it will be down to the players if they want to come back.

“It will ultimately come down to a vote from the players if they want to return to training or not.

“The feedback I have got from a few of the players at the moment is that they just want in for some sort of football … so if enough people want it we will be back.

“But if we are it will just be once a week for a quick hour to give them a feel of the ball and get them all together.”

The Scottish Government route map out of lockdown sees adult contact sports return on May 17, with Taylor hoping that date could start the new season earlier.

“In an ideal world for me, we would go into pre-season on May 17 for five or six weeks and then start the league early.