BRIDPORT assistant-manager Kevin Leigh insisted “life is more important” than football and suggested he would happily stop playing – even if Bridport were chasing promotion.

Leigh’s comments were made in relation to more than 150 clubs challenging, via lawyers, the FA’s decision to void all leagues in Steps 3 to 7 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Significantly, the vast majority of clubs protesting the directive were in the top positions of their respective divisions.

Bridport, however, were 19th of 21 teams in the Toolstation Western League Premier Division.

Speaking to the Bridport News, Leigh, 66, feels the coronavirus crisis is “frightening”.

He said: “People’s lives are at risk, people are dying. We all love football, we’re all passionate.

“We want to play, win games and don’t like losing. But come on, this is an epidemic – this is so frightening.

“You don’t know, just going outside to your gate, if somebody’s going to come by and sneeze on you.

“I don’t have sympathy for clubs that have gone to their solicitors. We do not know when this is going to end.

“This could go on, hopefully not, to the start of next season and then where does that put next season? It’s ridiculous.

“Some of the sides that were around the top are very, very disappointed because they could do promotion.

“Even if we were going for the league I honestly believe, in my head, I would be saying ‘do you know what? It’s football, but life is more important.’”