A congested schedule is just not fun

I AM associated with a Step 5 club located in the Home Counties. Contrary to what many clubs think of themselves when they are promoted to Step 5, we are an amateur club and not ’semi-professional’. Our players are not on a regular payment and the majority of them have full-time jobs that range through a whole gamut of capabilities and responsibilities.

A recently rearranged away cup tie that was postponed due to a frozen pitch, now means that those amateur players have to play four games in eight days and a total round-trip distance of something like 420 miles – for some players, even more.

One of the games on a Thursday evening involves a round-trip of around 160 miles and, kick-off has had to be scheduled for 7 30pm. To get there in good time through rush-hour traffic, a departure time of 4.30pm is required for most players. Some cannot get away from work that early, and so the management has to try and juggle the availability of players in a limited-size squad between Tuesday and Thursday.

The schedule of four away games in eight days, with the journey distances involved, is grossly unfair on the players, and also the management who have to try and find two squads to play two long-distant away games in three days. Injuries and unavailability also pile on the pressure for the management team who do the job simply for the love of the game.

It’s situations like this that drive players away from Step 5 football in this case, just playing on Saturdays at a lower level and maybe training once a week is often a far more attractive proposition.

Little regard seems to be given these days to the struggles that NonLeague clubs are going through. In what are currently tough times, the least the club can do is try and make a contribution towards the travel costs for the players, but money is tight and it will mean corners have to be cut elsewhere.

Just when will the organisers of our glorious game realise that until a level is reached where contracts and money is involved, football is supposed to be fun!