Chairman`s Blog: Damned if we do, damned if we don't
Fri 29th January 2016 | Chairmans Blog | By Paul Lawler
There has been no doubt that the main talking point of the past few months among league officials, club officials and supporters has been around the weather and the impact on football fixtures throughout the country.
Fixtures were the main topic of conversation at our recent League Management Committee meeting, in which we debated how to deal with the current crop of postponements and how to tackle the back-log that was building up. It would be fair to say that opinions were divided among my colleagues as to how and when to tackle the situation.
Personally I am in favour of tackling the problem before it becomes a major issue, in order to avoid some of the backlog problems we have faced in the past. It therefore amazes me when we received complaints and criticism from the very people who complain when clubs are made to play several games within a short space of time towards the end of the season. We are also receiving complaints that clubs have only played once or twice since the turn of the year. It strikes me that we cannot win on this one – we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t.
The Management Committee agreed to try and address the fixture backlog now in order to try and prevent further backlog, in the hope that we are able to complete some of the scheduled fixtures. Let me be clear, we aren’t stupid people (although I know a number of people would challenge this statement). We know the weather is bad, but we also know there are occasional windows of opportunity to try and get games played. It is better to schedule games and hope some survive the weather, than have a day where games can be played, but none are scheduled. Take Thursday evening’s Men United Cup ties. On Thursday morning the pitch at Atherton Colls was playable, only for the severe storms to close in later in the afternoon rendering it unplayable. Sadly when scheduling fixtures we don’t have the benefit of knowing the forecast but it shows the fine line between getting a game on and it being called off.
I have seen a number of arguments about playing postponed fixtures later in the season, when the weather is better. However, recent experience shows that the weather can be as unpredictable in March and April as it is in January and February. That is why we are trying to get as many games played as we can in order to achieve an orderly end to the season. The other benefit of trying to get games in is the impact postponements have on club finances. Many clubs have experienced significant falls in revenue due to games being off. Likewise, the impact on cash flow from playing too many times in a short period of time can also impact clubs, especially if they have to play several away matches.
I believe we are trying doing the right thing in difficult circumstances, even if we don’t win friends in the process!
Chairman`s Blog: Damned if we do, damned if we don't
Fri 29th January 2016 | Chairmans Blog
By Paul Lawler
There has been no doubt that the main talking point of the past few months among league officials, club officials and supporters has been around the weather and the impact on football fixtures throughout the country.
Fixtures were the main topic of conversation at our recent League Management Committee meeting, in which we debated how to deal with the current crop of postponements and how to tackle the back-log that was building up. It would be fair to say that opinions were divided among my colleagues as to how and when to tackle the situation.
Personally I am in favour of tackling the problem before it becomes a major issue, in order to avoid some of the backlog problems we have faced in the past. It therefore amazes me when we received complaints and criticism from the very people who complain when clubs are made to play several games within a short space of time towards the end of the season. We are also receiving complaints that clubs have only played once or twice since the turn of the year. It strikes me that we cannot win on this one – we are damned if we do and damned if we don’t.
The Management Committee agreed to try and address the fixture backlog now in order to try and prevent further backlog, in the hope that we are able to complete some of the scheduled fixtures. Let me be clear, we aren’t stupid people (although I know a number of people would challenge this statement). We know the weather is bad, but we also know there are occasional windows of opportunity to try and get games played. It is better to schedule games and hope some survive the weather, than have a day where games can be played, but none are scheduled. Take Thursday evening’s Men United Cup ties. On Thursday morning the pitch at Atherton Colls was playable, only for the severe storms to close in later in the afternoon rendering it unplayable. Sadly when scheduling fixtures we don’t have the benefit of knowing the forecast but it shows the fine line between getting a game on and it being called off.
I have seen a number of arguments about playing postponed fixtures later in the season, when the weather is better. However, recent experience shows that the weather can be as unpredictable in March and April as it is in January and February. That is why we are trying to get as many games played as we can in order to achieve an orderly end to the season. The other benefit of trying to get games in is the impact postponements have on club finances. Many clubs have experienced significant falls in revenue due to games being off. Likewise, the impact on cash flow from playing too many times in a short period of time can also impact clubs, especially if they have to play several away matches.
I believe we are trying doing the right thing in difficult circumstances, even if we don’t win friends in the process!
