REDS have suffered more heartbreak as their fan-favourite festive games have been cancelled.

The Northern Premier League board met on Friday to review their decision to restart the 2020/2021 campaign.

Workington AFC initially celebrated some much-needed good news as it meant that their New Years Day home game against Pontefract Collieries and the Boxing Day outing against Dunston could still go ahead.

However, at their meeting on Friday, league management ruled that playing fixtures on Boxing Day and New Years Day should be optional.

The issue raised by clubs was that, as a result of the original decision, they were being forced to stage competitive fixtures at a financial loss. Workington heard the news on the way home from a disappointing draw against Brighouse Town.

Pontefract have withdrawn from Reds' New Years Day game and Dunston no longer wish to host the Boxing Day match.

Manager Danny Grainger has called the pandemic a "frustrating" period for the club who were at the top of the league before the first national lockdown.

"We were given an unfair finish to the season, everyone else got points per game. He is confident the team would have emerged as champions had the season not been rendered null and void: "We weren't going to be beat to the title."

Reds bounced back with a run of good form in the early FA Trophy games but the stop-start nature of play during Covid-19 has hampered their progression. Nevertheless, the team are staying positive. Grainger said: "Everything we do, we try and do with positivity."

The board are considering the prospect of re-scheduling fixtures over the Christmas period. A Reds spokesperson said: “Thank you for your continued patience and understanding."