Player Suspensions Mount Up
Fri 17th December 2010 | General | By Ian Templeman
The recent run of match postponements, and the weather forecast giving little cause for optimism, means that most club managers are now likely to experience problems with player suspensions being accumulated.
Although lack of match practice and difficulty in finding training facilities tend to be the most common issues occupying managers at this time of the year, when the weather relents they will also have to face the possibility of having a number of key players all suspended at the same time.
Padiham Secretary Alan Smith believes the impact on player availability is one of the less commonly known knock on effects of bad weather.
Alan explained: "Normally, suspensions kick in 21 days after the game in which they are incurred. That being the case, when fixtures are being played the suspensions tend to be spread out over the weeks, as one player serves his suspension and once that is completed another player will begin to serve his suspension from another game.
"In days gone by, suspensions used to be imposed for a particular number of days, but these days suspensions are set by matches and not days. Therefore if games aren't being played, then all suspensions are catching one another up, and potentially a number of players will all be unavailable at one time.
"I know the solution for players, clubs and managers is not to get suspended, but it's just another side to the bad weather that's not been talked about.
"In addition, it could affect players who, through their Saturday afternoon suspensions, are therefore also suspended from any indoor small sided football leagues that they may also play for. I suspect at some stage, if the weather continued to be bad, that an amnesty might be able to be arranged but that is a decision for the various County FAs to make, and might be something they need to consider soon."
Player Suspensions Mount Up
Fri 17th December 2010 | General
By Ian Templeman
The recent run of match postponements, and the weather forecast giving little cause for optimism, means that most club managers are now likely to experience problems with player suspensions being accumulated.
Although lack of match practice and difficulty in finding training facilities tend to be the most common issues occupying managers at this time of the year, when the weather relents they will also have to face the possibility of having a number of key players all suspended at the same time.
Padiham Secretary Alan Smith believes the impact on player availability is one of the less commonly known knock on effects of bad weather.
Alan explained: "Normally, suspensions kick in 21 days after the game in which they are incurred. That being the case, when fixtures are being played the suspensions tend to be spread out over the weeks, as one player serves his suspension and once that is completed another player will begin to serve his suspension from another game.
"In days gone by, suspensions used to be imposed for a particular number of days, but these days suspensions are set by matches and not days. Therefore if games aren't being played, then all suspensions are catching one another up, and potentially a number of players will all be unavailable at one time.
"I know the solution for players, clubs and managers is not to get suspended, but it's just another side to the bad weather that's not been talked about.
"In addition, it could affect players who, through their Saturday afternoon suspensions, are therefore also suspended from any indoor small sided football leagues that they may also play for. I suspect at some stage, if the weather continued to be bad, that an amnesty might be able to be arranged but that is a decision for the various County FAs to make, and might be something they need to consider soon."
