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This stupid fixture list
Views: 2868
Is there any particular reason why the Ryman league have managed to put a fixture list out where we play East Thurrock and Kingstonian twice before the end of October, but don't play some other teams at all until January? I thought it was dodgy when it first came out, and the Kingstonian League Cup draw has just emphasised it, play three times in three weeks against the same opposition, ludicrous.
Re: This stupid fixture list
Views: 2865
If and when you have time, look at some of our earlier seasons in the Isthmian League, and you'll find this season's style when we are playing both fixtures against a club early is more commonplace than it has been in recent seasons..
In 1963-64, our first season, we'd played both matches against Ilford in our first 4 league games, and both matches against Barking in our first 8!
In 1972-73, we had played both matches against Clapton, Hitchin, Tooting, Walthamstow, and Wycombe by the 4th November.
In September 1978 we acheived the ultimate of playing a league fixture against Hitchin on a Tuesday night and the return at Hitchin on the following Saturday!!!
At least we're not in our Athenian Laegue era, when match programmes would frequently state that "next week's opponents are not known, so watch the local press for details"!!!
Let's be honest here, it doesn't matter how ANY league arranges its fixture list, there will always be people complaining about the list. You only have to listen to some of the comments Premiership and Championship managers make about their league fixtures.
Re: This stupid fixture list
Views: 2855
I think after the derby pairings, the league have tried to pair most of the other shortish distance journeys for the mid-week games - Kingstonian, East Thurrock and Enfield Town are among our shorter trips.
Re: This stupid fixture list
Views: 2799
It's a regional league though. There aren't many sides in this league that are a huge ball ache to get to. Say for example Kingstonian had a financial problem at the turn of the year and couldn't pay their players, ended up playing the under 18s for the rest of the season just to field a side, got dicked 7-0 every week (as has happened with a few teams in the past) - it would be a grossly unfair disadvantage to us having played them twice where some teams won't have seen them at all until January.
Re: This stupid fixture list
Views: 2839
Just suppose we beat Enfield in a couple of weeks, having done the double over them before the end of October. They then find themselves a sugar daddy, buy up all the best talent and dick everyone 7-0 until the end of the season. How lucky we would have been to play them twice where some teams won't have seen them yet.
Sorry Paul, couldn't resist.
I take your point and agree with you totally.
Re: This stupid fixture list
Views: 2722
Everything is conspiring to piss me off at the moment. Merstham away, one of the new ground away games I was looking forward to, brought forward to a Saturday where I'm already booked to go to Sheffield. Balls. Hope it's rained off.
Don't see the logic in that at all, just means a blank Saturday in March (when there's less midweek games going on anyway)
Edited by buts1690 at 13:22:28 on 14th October 2015
Re: This stupid fixture list
Views: 2730
A couple of years back, following an indifferent start we brought forward a home game versus Thamesmead and what could be better than trying to re-establish some form than putting aside a team destined for the lower echelon.
With some foresight we have up-coming league games against VCD, Merstham, Enfield, Farnborough and Needham Market. That's fifteen points up for grabs. This is in effect the Last Chance Saloon for any prospect for league aspirations.
Like most I still believe we have inherent problems, but starting Saturday it really is time to start converting some of these chances and putting games to bed. Hopefully as players come back on the scene that will enhance our capabilities.
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