WELFARE ISS-U’S
Doswell calls for re-think on packed schedule
SUTTON UNITED boss Paul Doswell is worried about the demanding workload on National League players at the beginning of the season.
The U’s, who finished third last year, have made a solid start to the new campaign with four wins and four draws from their first nine games.
Doswell’s side had a break from league action this week as they, along with Boreham Wood, represented the National League in Scottish competition The IRN-BRU Cup, where they were drawn away to Airdrie.
They return to league action on Saturday at Havant & Waterlooville before a busy September and Doswell believes a re-think is needed when it comes to a packed opening schedule.
“I’m delighted with how we’ve started – you say it’s early days but it’s 20 per cent of the season in a month,” Doswell told The NLP. “Some of the quality of the last two or three games have not been great all round from what I’ve watched.
Quality
“It’s too much to be asked to play nine games in a month. It’s something I think needs to be looked at because you’re asking these lads to do too much and that’s when injuries happen. People moan about the quality of the games. I moaned about our game with Halifax, I thought it was an awful game. No chances really cre- ated, two teams cancelling each other out but I negated that by saying I’m not surprised. From all the teams, players must be knackered.
“I know why it’s done, they worry about weather in January, February and March but there’s got to be an alternative than flogging people in the first months of the season.
“You ask a lot of the supporters as well to keep paying out £10 or £15 to watch it. It’s no surprise crowds are smaller at times because it can become expensive, even at our level.”
Last season’s third-place was the latest finish on an upward curve for the club and Doswell feels the atmosphere is what helps keep their squad together.
“We’ve been on this lovely run for four years almost,” Doswell said. “We won the Conference South, the next year we had the FA Cup run against Arsenal and Leeds, last year we finished third in the play-offs – it’s more and more difficult to achieve what we’re achieving!
Experience
“It’s with relatively the same group of players as well. If people leave us it’s because they’re going to a better level, which is great.
“We’ve brought in some good players this year. Dan Wishart, Charlie Clough and Dale Bennett know this league well and we’ve maintained that experience mixed in with a lot of good younger players. They all know the club. Wishart and Clough played for us before and Dale Bennett was impressed when he played against us.
“You look at four of our recent signings – Harry Beautyman, Tom Bolarinwa, Wishart and Clough all played for us, left to go into the League football and are players who came back. That says a lot about us. They clearly enjoy playing for us and that’s a big thing.”