Some managers have took to criticise what has been described to be ‘absolutely ridiculous’ Bank Holiday schedule for National League clubs.
AFC Fylde boss Adam Murray said, as per the Gazette: “It’s absolutely ridiculous. We’re playing Saturday teatime and then we have to play again with less than 48 hours’ rest.
“I don’t think it’s right for players’ welfare. We aren’t getting back to our ground until getting on for 11pm on Saturday and then we have to play on Monday.
“We expect a team that’s trying to win the league,” Murray said ahead of the game at Hartlepool.
“They will be expected to go straight back up. I imagine that’s the expectation within the camp, so we will have to be at our best.
“Even though we lost our last game in a really tough fashion, I still have 100 per cent belief in what we do.”
Oldham boss David Unsworth called the Saturday-Monday schedule ‘an absolute joke’ and a ‘disgrace’ – yet Chesterfield coach Danny Webb says he quite enjoys it.
He told the Derbyshire Times: “We can’t use fatigue as an excuse or a small squad because we have got some good players to choose from and to come on on Monday who we feel are a bit leggy after tomorrow’s game.
“Sometimes it is good because it keeps the flow going if you win, and if you don’t win it can also be good because you have got the chance to turn it around really quickly. Six points out of the two would be great because we felt a little bit robbed last week but that is life.”
Webb admits it is going to be ‘tough’ on some of his players who are needed in both matches but hints of rotation.
He said: “The goalie, defensive side, even the midfield tends to be stuck with when you have got two games in a short space of time. It is always the attacking players who are the ones to rotate, I am not saying that will be the case this weekend, but the manager is always keen to say that any subs he makes within a game, it will be any one of the front four because they are the ones doing the pressing and setting the tone.
“It is going to be tough because we are not going to change the full 11 for Hartlepool but they are fit boys and some lads are going to have to get through it.”
Webb adds: “Hartlepool will be a tough game but we will worry about that on Sunday when we are in training. Altrincham have had a good start, the manager has done a very good job there, and we have got to justify the favourites tag by getting the three points.”
On preparing for the double-header, Webb said: “During this week we have all taken turns on watching both teams and making our assessments.
“Once we finish at Altrincham our attention will turn straight away to Hartlepool because it is not like you have got two or three days, you have literally got a day before you are out here in front a packed house with an expectant crowd.”
Meanwhile, York City boss Michael Morton also had his say on the schedule.
“It’s not ideal with how it’s set up. We travel to London tomorrow and won’t get back until midnight or into the early hours of Sunday morning,” Morton told The Press.
“We’ve then got to fit something in on Sunday, ready to go on Monday, whereas Rochdale are playing at home, then travelling to York, so they won’t do anywhere near as much travel as us.
“It’s down to the lads. We know we’re going to have to freshen it up across the two games. It’ll probably showcase how strong our squad is across the two matches, but it’s not ideal.
“Especially with the travel down there, but we’re not going to use it as any excuse as we need to improve on last week’s performance as we need to pick up as many points as possible over the three days.
“It was probably what I expected. It’s never easy for teams to come down.
“Hartlepool have done well with John [Askey, former York manager[ there and they’ve kept their key players.
“With Rochdale we keep hearing new things, that they’re bringing new players in and are struggling in certain positions.
“They’re lively, they’ve got some Football League quality in there and that’s dangerous.
“It’s very rare that you sign so many players in short time and then go off and win your first four games.
“The main thing for us is making sure we get the performance levels right, get the fans on side and let them see what we’re trying to do.
“It’s ultimately about winning. I’ve got to prove everyone wrong and get to a point where we are winning games and playing some good football.
“Matt [Uggla, York City owner] knows the process, he’s a successful business man in his family and he’ll tell you the stories that he had to get through hard times to get to where he’s got to. It wasn’t rosy straight away.
“He sees the benefits of what we’re trying to do, and it’s not just on the pitch, it’s off the pitch.
“It’s good that he’s supporting us, but ultimately I know that we need to win games going forward. That’s it at the end of the day and I get frustrated when we don’t pick points up.
“I don’t sleep, I try to give my best every week and it’s a slow process, but hopefully we’ll get it right over the next three or four games.”
BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND FIXTURES
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Friday 25th August 2023
Rochdale 2-2 Bromley
Solihull Moors 1-1 FC Halifax Town
Southend United 2-0 Eastleigh
Saturday 26th August 2023
3pm Aldershot Town v Wealdstone
3pm Altrincham v Chesterfield
3pm Boreham Wood v Oldham Athletic
3pm Dagenham & Redbridge v Barnet
3pm Dorking Wanderers v York City
3pm Ebbsfleet United v Kidderminster Harriers
3pm Gateshead v Woking
5.30pm Hartlepool United v AFC Fylde
3pm Maidenhead United v Oxford City
Monday 28th August 2023
AFC Fylde v Altrincham
3pm Barnet v Ebbsfleet United
3pm Bromley v Southend United
3pm Chesterfield v Hartlepool United
3pm Eastleigh v Aldershot Town
3pm FC Halifax Town v Gateshead
3pm Kidderminster Harriers v Maidenhead United
3pm Oldham Athletic v Solihull Moors
3pm Oxford City v Boreham Wood
3pm Wealdstone v Dagenham & Redbridge
3pm Woking v Dorking Wanderers
3pm York City v Rochdale
NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH
Saturday 26th August 2023
3pm Alfreton Town v Darlington
3pm Boston United v Warrington Town
3pm Brackley Town v Southport
3pm Buxton v Blyth Spartans
3pm Chorley v King’s Lynn Town
3pm Curzon Ashton v Scunthorpe United
3pm Farsley Celtic v Tamworth
3pm Hereford v Peterborough Sports
3pm Rushall Olympic v Banbury United
3pm Scarborough Athletic v Chester
3pm South Shields v Gloucester City
1pm Spennymoor Town v Bishop’s Stortford
Monday 28th August 2023
3pm Banbury United v Buxton
3pm Bishop’s Stortford v Boston United
3pm Blyth Spartans v Spennymoor Town
3pm Chester v Farsley Celtic
3pm Darlington v South Shields
3pm Gloucester City v Rushall Olympic
3pm King’s Lynn Town v Alfreton Town
3pm Peterborough Sports v Brackley Town
1pm Scunthorpe United v Scarborough Athletic
3pm Southport v Chorley
3pm Tamworth v Hereford
3pm Warrington Town v Curzon Ashton
NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH
Saturday 26th August 2023
3pm Aveley v Dartford
3pm Bath City v Hampton & Richmond Borough
3pm Braintree Town v Chippenham Town
3pm Dover Athletic v Worthing
3pm Eastbourne Borough v Truro City
3pm Farnborough v Weston-super-Mare
3pm Hemel Hempstead Town v Maidstone United
3pm Slough Town v Torquay United
3pm Taunton Town v St Albans City
3pm Welling United v Havant & Waterlooville
3pm Weymouth v Chelmsford City
3pm Yeovil Town v Tonbridge Angels
Monday 28th August 2023
3pm Aveley v Hampton & Richmond Borough
3pm Chelmsford City v Eastbourne Borough
3pm Chippenham Town v Slough Town
3pm Dartford v Dover Athletic
3pm Havant & Waterlooville v Yeovil Town
3pm Maidstone United v Taunton Town
3pm St Albans City v Bath City
3pm Tonbridge Angels v Welling United
3pm Torquay United v Braintree Town
3pm Truro City v Farnborough
3pm Weston-super-Mare v Hemel Hempstead Town
3pm Worthing v Weymouth
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