Match Postponed.
After an unseasonably mild Autumn, the first real cold snap of Winter claimed over half of the Vanarama National League programme of fixtures last weekend, and the lack of matches, as well as some availability issues, meant that the NL Full Time podcast took an unscheduled mid-winter break.
However, that doesn’t mean that our minds weren’t on matters in the National League, and along with the new streaming platform, the weekend’s other big talking point was postponements.
Postponements remain a fact of life in Steps 1-2 and below. Undersoil heating is a luxury few can afford, and whilst some clubs have 3G and 4G pitches, they are by no means guaranteed to ensure matches go ahead, as seen at Scarborough Athletic last weekend.
Many clubs still have a dependence on the availability and willingness of volunteers to assist with pitch covers, if they have them. There is also a responsibility to ensure that surrounding terraces and walkways are cleared, and that comes down to good old-fashioned manual labour, which isn’t always in plentiful supply.
A good proportion of the weekend’s postponements happened early enough to prevent away teams from travelling, but inevitably there were some teams either already en route, or who had actually arrived at their destination, only to be thwarted by the weather and/or the match referee’s decision.
This is where matters get thorny. Away teams and fans venting their spleen is to be expected
and is wholly understandable. The time and money wasted, the simple disappointment of not seeing your weekend plans work out and the prospect of the rescheduled fixture being in midweek are all enough to give rise to uncharitable feelings.
Things aren’t much better for the home team in such circumstances. Fixtures rescheduled for midweek invariably attract lower crowds and reduce income, and there are expenses incurred around the original fixture too. A postponement can occasionally work in your favour, but it’s rare.
One criticism around Saturday’s game was the number of long-distance fixtures scheduled, such as Blyth Spartans at Kidderminster Harriers and Hereford‘s trip to Spennymoor Town, both fixtures in the North.
From the outside, it looks like a valid criticism; however, it’d be practically impossible to structure a fixture schedule with all long-distance travel at either the beginning or the end of the season. Some teams, such as Blyth, Torquay United and Gateshead, have long distances to cover for all but a few away games.
With a Bank Holiday in August and multiple Bank Holidays in April and May, the desire to schedule local derbies to maximise potential attendance means some of the longer-distance fixtures have to go somewhere else in the calendar.
Likewise, it wouldn’t be entirely fair to have some teams making almost constant, long-distance trips in the early or closing weeks of the season – why? Because long-distance travel is draining; it’d be unrealistic to expect optimum performances from a team who have spent what must seem like day after day after day on a coach, even a luxurious one.
Ultimately, there is no easy solution. Despite what the occasional chem-trails conspiracy theorist alleges, nobody can control the weather. Trying to find someone to blame in such circumstances is an inevitable human response, but it’s largely pointless.
This isn’t to say that teams shouldn’t try to make timely arrangements to try and mitigate, but unless your club is located in an unusual micro-climate, one day it’ll likely be your team being grumbled at for a postponement, rather than falling foul of one. A little understanding, and some timely and open communication to aid that, can go a long way…
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