Good morning! Happy April Fool's Day!
There are 3 approaches to fixture chaos; blame the League (they organise the fixture list), blame the weather (well, it can't repsond ;-) ), ignore it (sensible).
The Mariners' approach under Paul Hurst seems to be the final one I've listed. Thanks to our Cup run, which included a few replays, thanks to Trophy games taking precedence over the Conference games, and the 3 away postponements (FGR, Wrexham and Dartford), GTFC have a congested season-end. We have 9 games left, all this month. Braintree? They have the same number. They have 5 at home plus Barnet and Luton in their run-in. We have to travel to Wrexham then Kidderminster and Dartford, then Alfreton then....Braintree. So they don't even have to travel too far. And most of the postponed games that led to this were at Braintree. So I am going to say = self-inflicted.
Yet their manager Alan Devonshire has the nerve to talk about an 'injustice.' Is it kidology? Is he a genius? Is he understandably focusing on the best way to motivate his players? Probably the latter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26785223
As this article reminds us, Braintree had SEVEN games in succession postponed. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26095255 The Essex side were unable to play a home league fixture between 28 December and 25 February. For the record GTFC played a total of EIGHT home league and cup games in that spell.
I can't remember any GTFC home game being postponed this season, because we are fortunate to have a league standard pitch. Perhaps the Conference should ask teams for a contingency plan, play at another local ground. In the first BBC article above, the Conference blame Braintree's drainage facilities. Devonshire is not quoted on that though.... Last year it was Gateshead, with so many games postponed, they ended up playing home games ALL over the place! Not happened to Braintree, but I don't remember Gateshead complaining.
It would be nice if rival managers were to comment constructively on solving problems; drainage and having better pitches, rescheduling the season start, moving the playoffs away from Wembley, but instead the 'injustice' approach favoured by Devonshire the Braintree boss, is a bit selfish. Maybe Devonshire is a victim of poor journalism, or using clever motivational tool, and it seems to be working as they are on a good run, just behind Halifax in the recent form table (last 5 games).
But as fate would have it, the Mariners visit Braintree on the last day of the season, and let's hope it doesn't rain, and that the play-off places are sorted by then. But, either way, let's hope GTFC do their talking on the pitch, and take 3 points from the Essex side.
For some balance, here's a neutral article from When Saturday Comes which comments on the backlog, but says the Conference defends itself, albeit by wrongly in my view, stressing the importance of Wembley to Conference clubs.
http://www.wsc.co.uk/wsc-daily/1174-february-2014/11241-conference-not-helping-clubs-enough-with-postponements
And finally, let's hope GTFC take 3 points from Wrexham tonight! ;-) #UTM