Richard Just Not On The Money
THIS week, the talking point in Non-League football has been whether the FA Trophy is taken seriously.
Cambridge United’s head coach Richard Money came out after his team’s match against St Albans City and slammed the Trophy for distracting the focus from the league and that the games shouldn’t be played on Saturdays but, instead, should feature in midweek.
Money also said that draws should be played to a conclusion and not replayed as extra fixtures will result in more distraction as well as tire his players. His views appear to have been shared by many in Non-League of late, with managers showing this by resting some players for the competition and not taking the same approach as if it were a Skrill Premier match.
As a player, this really infuriates me. The Trophy should be taken as seriously as any other competition and be given the respect it deserves. It is Non-League’s FA Cup and it is an opportunity to play at Wembley, which doesn’t come around very often.
Every season I have played in it, I have been extra motivated, like I would be in the FA Cup, as the chance to go to Wembley is a childhood dream. It is something I still dream about now.
Players can go their whole career without playing in big stadiums. It is also a great opportunity for fans to have a day out at Wembley to watch their beloved team. It is probably their only chance unless the team progresses through the league play-offs and into the final.
I recall one year in the Trophy when we were drawn at home against a club two leagues below in the quarter-finals. It was a great draw, with us the firm favourites, and put us in a good position to get even closer to Wembley. But we approached the game in such an unprofessional manner and underestimated our opponents.
We didn’t leave out any players or rest them. We had a strong team. However, our mindset was completely wrong and we didn’t give them the respect they deserved. We ended up getting a pasting on our own turf and it was incredibly embarrassing.
I ended up having a bust-up with one of our players in the changing-room afterwards. I didn’t appreciate the way he dismissed the game and expected it to be a stroll in the park. It also hurt our fans. They witnessed a desperately poor display and, not surprisingly, they turned on us.
Many people say that going a long way in the Trophy can hinder your league season. Players can be affected by the additional fixtures and become fatigued at the midway point of the campaign.
I appreciate that some clubs have small squads and that the travelling can come into it as well, especially at the part-time outfits where players have jobs. Coming back from, say, Workington on a Tuesday night after a replay really doesn’t go down well.
Nonetheless, if you were to ask a player if they wanted to play at Wembley and that they were only a handful of matches away from it, I’m sure they wouldn’t turn it down. It’s an incredible achievement to play there; even some Premier League players may never be fortunate to have that honour.
Money’s remarks were totally wrong. He is forthright in his opinion, fair enough, but I’m pretty sure he won’t be asking for the rules to be changed if he is lifting the trophy on March 23. The £50,000 prize money for the winners is not to be sneezed at, either.
Making any changes to the competition would diminish it and cast a shadow over Non-League history. Why tarnish the Trophy? Non-League clubs don’t play in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy nor do they compete in the Capital One Cup. Therefore, the Conference and Trophy should be their dual focus.
Not only will this generate money for clubs, it is about winning and being successful – the fundamentals of football.
Wycombe Wanderers did the “double” in 1993. In 2011-12, York City did a double of sorts by winning the Trophy and the Conference play-off final, which was also staged at Wembley.
I know a few players who were in the York squad that season and they expressed how they had never had such an incredible feeling in football. These lads can keep those memories for years and they are also great tales to share with their grandchildren.
I can only keep on dreaming…
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