Income From FAT Final

Quoted from Rik e B

£25,000 for all the fixture congestion which has potential to wreak havoc on promotion bid, especially in seasons where there's a terrible winter. Ner thanks.

There hasnt been any fixture congestion this season has there?

When we got to the final v Wrexham there was but since then I think there was only one scheduled midweek league game after New Year and plenty of scope to fit games in comfortably. We have hardly been playing Sat, Tues, Thurs, Sat have we?

We had a really tough April even without the extra fixtures, which the FAT inserted into the schedule. We didn't know Cheltenham were going to win the league with such a large points total last year when the FAT started. At most it's probably cost us 5 or 6 points, not enough to have made a difference this season, but if the league had been closer it could have done had Cheltenham not won a few of their close games. If we're in this division next season I'd like to see us throw the game in Round 1 just to give ourselves an extra chance of going up. I doubt it pays for itself until at least the quarter-finals so we wouldn't lose anything with an early exit.

Quoted from GrimRob

Sacking PH would cost most of the income. Plus if you want a big name replacement that'll cost extra too. Personally I'd rather spend money on players than sackings.

money well spent then sacking him  . Most of the current squad will leave  at the end of the season I think  if we don't go up and how many good  players will  come here to play in a nearly team under him  or just be bench warmers.

Quoted from Cloudy

There hasnt been any fixture congestion this season has there?

When we got to the final v Wrexham there was but since then I think there was only one scheduled midweek league game after New Year and plenty of scope to fit games in comfortably. We have hardly been playing Sat, Tues, Thurs, Sat have we?

We had a three week run of Sat Tues Sat against mainly top half teams, most away games were long journeys (Dover, Aldershot, Woking) and most midweeks were caused by the Trophy. Against the financial benefit of promotion, I don't believe that's a price worth paying.

Could have been as much a issue had we gone 2 weeks without a game due to other teams playing in the trophy plus it is a very southern based league so that isnt something we can easily change

Lets just hope we get ourselves promoted and then we can have local games v Yeovil, Plymouth, Pompey and Carlisle!

GrimRob explained it perfectly Cloudy and if ever there is a bleak Winter the two combined cause absolute chaos during the run in. Players tired, travelling up and down the country, minds elsewhere: -one Season with Shouty still on board we were top and flying at Christmas then it all fell apart.

Even if it made us one or two points being out, that could be the difference in a close Season and id take that every day of the week over 25k.

Hurst has played a second string in earlier rounds admittedly but even more so it should be used to blood more youngsters, perfect for the transition to the senior game and if they progress then fair do's.

Getting back into the league is everything. Absolutely everything. I see Gary Johnson played the kids as soon as the tiniest sniff of the slightest possibility of messing with league program. This should be our attitude.

We could have won it four times say but still sat down here is failure, end of.

And I don't think 'we are above' the competition or any of those kind of self righteous high and mighty beliefs, just that getting back into the Football League is absolutely paramount, possibly for our very existence and nothing should distract from that goal.

Even if we went out in the first round, we could end up with a fixture congestion depending on how other teams progress in the competition.  This is no different to what happens in other leagues across the country.

When we met Woking in the semi's, regardless of who the winner was the league game between the two sides was to be rearranged due to the Trophy taking priority over league games.

As long as we're in this league we participate in the Trophy, we might as well get the best out of it.  This season especially it has given the opportunity for fringe players to get a run-out, that's worked on extremes of keeping the likes of Pearson ticking over but also allowed Hurst to look at the likes of Henderson.  The early trophy rounds also gave Nolan and Horwood the chance to shake off a bit of rust before they were quickly thrust into the league campaign.

The Trophy has had absolutely no impact on our league position.  We've not been good enough all season.  We've lacked the 'thou shall not pass' attitude of previous seasons at the back, don't dominate teams in midfield, don't pick up enough second balls, don't have enough width to attack teams and revert to long ball tactics despite not having a recognised target man.  We also lack a much desired Plan B.    That's why we've not gone up automatically this season, not because of a few rearranged games in the FA Trophy.

Has the prize gone up seeing as the costs of merging 2 finals into 1 day must be less?

Quoted from Rik e B

GrimRob explained it perfectly Cloudy and if ever there is a bleak Winter the two combined cause absolute chaos during the run in. Players tired, travelling up and down the country, minds elsewhere: -one Season with Shouty still on board we were top and flying at Christmas then it all fell apart.

Even if it made us one or two points being out, that could be the difference in a close Season and id take that every day of the week over 25k.

Hurst has played a second string in earlier rounds admittedly but even more so it should be used to blood more youngsters, perfect for the transition to the senior game and if they progress then fair do's.

Getting back into the league is everything. Absolutely everything. I see Gary Johnson played the kids as soon as the tiniest sniff of the slightest possibility of messing with league program. This should be our attitude.

We could have won it four times say but still sat down here is failure, end of.

GrimRob expressed an opinion ( one he has repeated on many occasions ) it is just that I don't believe the Trophy has had any impact on our league form this season. As DHM states it has, in the early rounds at least been very beneficial