Possible idea to avoid future fixture backlog?

How about change the kick off times in December and January to 11.45. It would give a chance for pitches to thaw over winter season, matches finish at 1.30 so doesnt clash with youth league, and Referees could be allocated their youth game on the same pitch or nearby fixture for the 2pm kick offs so it could be workable?
Cup games at 11.30 to allow for extra time?
Just a thought

Orange wrote:

How about change the kick off times in December and January to 11.45. It would give a chance for pitches to thaw over winter season, matches finish at 1.30 so doesnt clash with youth league, and Referees could be allocated their youth game on the same pitch or nearby fixture for the 2pm kick offs so it could be workable?
Cup games at 11.30 to allow for extra time?

Just a thought

IT WOULDNT MATTER WHAT TIME THE KICK OFFS WERE TODAY MOST OF THE PITCHES WOULD BE UNPLAYABLE ALL DAY.

WINTER BREAK AND START THE SEASON EARLY!

Haven't we just had a winter break?

Although agree on the second point!

We hsve had the debate about the second point time and time again and know thta pitches are not available for most teams prior to September

By the time our (Sunbury v Western) game finished around 12:45 today the pitch was still frozen in most places. It's only a problem if somebody gets seriously injured; thankfully today nobody did. The side Sunbury had today was the bare 11 however this team would still be better than a team I'll have to put out when we have to play so many games in so many days because of the fixture backlog.

However; well done Western, your team was better than ours today and you got the 3 points in a great battle; I hope there's a round 3 between us before the season ends....

It would be great starting mid august but this is down to the councils changing
their stuiped rules on when we can play our first game.
Its not if the councils rolling seeding and making our pitches look like
wembley and as for pitch ware and tare the grass is still growing
that time of year.
I know it will prolong the season and affect a few players on hols but
it also gives us 2-3 weeks to get ahead of games incase a bad winter kicks in and
for the sides in all the cups to play 3 times a week for the last month.

You have to take cricket into consideration too. Also doesn't the league ask teams if they want to have a fixture before the season start date??? and do people actually take them uup on this or not?

Maybe the fixture secretary could help me out on that one!

Could those teams who use schools and private pitches start the season earlier? Enough pre-season friendlies are played so why not?

Regarding the parks, other tax payers want to use them too, not everyone's into football, they want to take their kids and dogs there, councils have to take other users into consideration also. And with space becoming scarce these are the only area's you can go to.

How many of the Alliance League pitches are used for Cricket as well? and how many Alliance players play cricket, if that is another issue?

And how many families go to spend their day on a football pitch?


Most of the pitches that we've been on are only used for football, and nothing else when football is off.

Facts are that some people want football to be banned on public parks, there are people who activley are campaining to get football removed from parks saying its the biggest problem because of players ruining these parks, what with all the mud they leave and bits of football tapes, water bottles etc, swearing players, litter, beer cans, kicking balls into their gardens and some dude jumping into thier gardens to fetch them back, not everyone welcomes football on their local parks. And families dont go to spend their day on a football pitch, they go to a public space, which is there for everyone not just footballers, council tax is way too expensive and people aren't going to give up a plot of open space just to be a football pitch. Everybody pays, everybody wants to use. No one can say these spaces are only used for football, we're not there monitoring them 24/7.

Peoples gardens back on to these so called pitches, these are just a few of their concerns.

super polska wrote:

You have to take cricket into consideration too. Also doesn't the league ask teams if they want to have a fixture before the season start date??? and do people actually take them uup on this or not?

Maybe the fixture secretary could help me out on that one!

Yes, we make the offer every year and no-one, to my memory, has taken advantage,

So Dennis, If I was to arrange a match 2/3 weeks before the official date of the season starts, on a private pitch (not necasserily our home pitch), arranged the opposition and ref, could this be classed as a legitimate league game?

Given what we have to pay for a council pitch, and on top of personal council tax bills as well, I think football teams should be given priority over other members of the public as we pay for the priviledge!

AC Wigston played about 6 pre-season friendlies.

The condition of the pitch that we could have played on on Sunday was barely no different to what we played on in April and in August this year, in terms of hardness. The pitch was flat too, or certainly no different to what it will be like in the summer.

Why then do we find it acceptable to play on hard pitches in the Spring/Summer, but not the winter?

Perhaps we should all start playing waterpolo instead, lord knows by July the pitches will be flooded anyway according to the climatologists.

Have I got a point?

Polska legend II wrote:

AC Wigston played about 6 pre-season friendlies.

Stop picking on us!!!!

But yes, I think we had 8 in total actually. (And all greatly reffed by mr Legend)

If i had knew we could have played earlier games I would of. Season could of been over by now.

None of the ideas are perfect. The fact still remains that for example, we now have 7 games more left than Sundays to play them. A few evening games is one thing but playing 3 a week at the end of the season is just not workable. If that is the 'plan' then please hurry up and let everybody know so we can all go out and sign about 10 more players, who are unemployed, hate cricket, don't play Saturdays, single, no other interests.

Orange wrote:

So Dennis, If I was to arrange a match 2/3 weeks before the official date of the season starts, on a private pitch (not necasserily our home pitch), arranged the opposition and ref, could this be classed as a legitimate league game?

It would be given serious consideration. 1 week before would be a YES.

All club Secretaries are advised at every preseason meeting and I believe it was on the old Forum.

Nothing wrong with AC having 6 pre-season friendlies, especially for a new team!

We had 8 last season!

I presume that clubs can arrange mid-week games now if they have flood-lit facilities?



I notice The Wheel have only played SIX league games so far, so they have 20 to play in 11 weeks. How many weeks of mid-week games are there usually?

Sparta3 wrote:

I presume that clubs can arrange mid-week games now if they have flood-lit facilities?

Not only would it be approved but it would be encouraged, provided it was played on a Wednesday or a Friday. One game already arranged - more to follow

This is where one of the benefit of using a 3G pitch comes in. They are all floodlit and are playable in most conditions.

dee_aitcho wrote:

Polska legend II wrote:

AC Wigston played about 6 pre-season friendlies.

Stop picking on us!!!!

But yes, I think we had 8 in total actually. (And all greatly reffed by mr Legend)

If i had knew we could have played earlier games I would of. Season could of been over by now.

what I meant was, if teams can play 6 pre-season friendlies without too much fuss, the season can start earlier!

Does the midweek games HAVE to be on a weds/fri?? What if two clubs agree on a tues?thurs??

Its beneficial to use a 3G pitch but they can be twice if not three times the price of grass which is probably why its not too popular at the moment!

get a pools panel going!

only problem there tomassi is a lot of senior league players play games on tuesday and thursday

Yes but if it helped the lower league teams (presumably as they wouldn't have so many senior league players) and a pitch/ref was available then whats the problem?

no problem tomassi, no problem at all

Tomassi wrote:

Does the midweek games HAVE to be on a weds/fri?? What if two clubs agree on a tues?thurs??

Its beneficial to use a 3G pitch but they can be twice if not three times the price of grass which is probably why its not too popular at the moment!

He's damn right there, £85 a pop to use the one in Uppingham. Nearly skinted us already. Only played two games on the grass since we got it because of the weather. The way it's going, we will be looking for a way to pay for it again pretty soon, twice a week after Easter, no chance.

Tomassi wrote:

Does the midweek games HAVE to be on a weds/fri?? What if two clubs agree on a tues?thurs??

Its beneficial to use a 3G pitch but they can be twice if not three times the price of grass which is probably why its not too popular at the moment!

Because of the number of players playing Saturday and Sunday, there is an agreement at County level that Sunday leagues play Wednesday and Friday and Saturday Leagues play Tuesday and Thursday.

Wonder if anybody is going to play Tues, Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat and Sun!

I think we should just scrap the season all together....... not worth the hassle!

Rutland boy wrote:

Tomassi wrote:

Does the midweek games HAVE to be on a weds/fri?? What if two clubs agree on a tues?thurs??

Its beneficial to use a 3G pitch but they can be twice if not three times the price of grass which is probably why its not too popular at the moment!

He's damn right there, £85 a pop to use the one in Uppingham. Nearly skinted us already. Only played two games on the grass since we got it because of the weather. The way it's going, we will be looking for a way to pay for it again pretty soon, twice a week after Easter, no chance.

£85 divided by at least 22 people, get a paper-round..

Mondays?

Someone did actually suggest an idea today of having a game on the Monday mornings of Upcoming Bank Holiday Mondays (April 5th and May 3rd).

This will mean 2 games in 2 days, but is this a feasible option?

Hellboy wrote:

Rutland boy wrote:

Tomassi wrote:

Does the midweek games HAVE to be on a weds/fri?? What if two clubs agree on a tues?thurs??

Its beneficial to use a 3G pitch but they can be twice if not three times the price of grass which is probably why its not too popular at the moment!

He's damn right there, £85 a pop to use the one in Uppingham. Nearly skinted us already. Only played two games on the grass since we got it because of the weather. The way it's going, we will be looking for a way to pay for it again pretty soon, twice a week after Easter, no chance.

£85 divided by at least 22 people, get a paper-round..

Talk out yer arse

super polska wrote:

I think we should just scrap the season all together....... not worth the hassle!

now there's an idea! imagine being on 0 points with a level goal difference!