PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

Published in the National League South game v Oxford City Saturday 1st February 2020  We lost 1-0 in front of 884

Seven hundred and thirty five clubs entered the FA Cup this season including Chichester City who played their first FA Cup game tie on the 10^th August. They then played an FA Cup game more or less every 2 weeks until Round 2 in December. As a result the part-timers now have 9 games in 28 days in February. So what do Chichester have to say about all these extra games: 'Would we change it? No. Are we complaining about being knackered? No.'

But the FA Cup replay whinge-aphon is on. The top teams, with riches beyond most clubs wildest dreams, with second strings stuffed full of internationals are on the warpath, brought to a head by Shrewsbury having the cheek to draw with Liverpool and earn themselves a dream replay, which is in the middle of the top teams new winter break. The Liverpool boss has thrown a hissy fit and said he won't be there and his U23's will play instead. Shrewsbury and Liverpool have played exactly the same games so far this season. But guess which club is moaning about the extra game? Surely not the one that has a massive squad with players on big bucks and state of the art fitness facilities?

Some of that wealth will now be shared with Shrewsbury whose manager pointed out that not so long ago they were drowning in debt but now own their ground, their training facilities and turn a profit. The cup replay money will enable the club to buy video analysis equipment for the training ground and better drainage for some of their pitches. Surely that is something to celebrate rather than focus on Liverpool saying they've booked a holiday and won't be playing.

The top teams wanted their B teams to play in the Leasings Trophy; a cup that used to be just for first and second division league clubs with a chance to get to play at Wembley. The top teams said their academy players need competitive football, so demanded the changes. The result? A cup that is so popular it has managed to smash attendance records across grounds – for lowest ever crowds attending a competitive match. And a cup whose rules state that if managers dare play weakened teams they will get fined.

Maybe, just maybe, they need to look at themselves and the way they hoover up the best youngsters in the world like old people stocking up on food in case of a nuclear war. Too many games? The European Club Association wants four additional matchdays in the Champions League and Mr.Pep now wants rid of the League Cup to ease the pressure on players. Perhaps teams finishing second, third and fourth in the Premier League shouldn't be in the Champions of anything. Meanwhile The Europa league has grown into a fixture creating monster. 

Then there’s the Club World Cup, scheduled to begin in its new expanded format in summer 2021. It is not yet clear European clubs will compete but already the tournament has forced the Africa Cup of Nations to be re-rescheduled to avoid a clash.

So who gets to make these decisions?

Accrington Stanleys forthright Chairman Andy Holt spills the beans

“The English football pyramid should be the envy of the world (but) nobody knows or is following a grand strategy to get from A to B. I’ve asked to see the strategy and 10 year plans. There isn’t one. How can we hope to improve the game without a plan.”

Mr.Holt then spells out there is little chance for clubs to speak out and make change. “Within the confines of each meeting and especially divisional meetings, the opportunity to change course doesn’t present itself. It’s a tightly controlled agenda presented by the board. Most of the meetings are a waste of life, packed out with irrelevance to the real issues. The Championship set of to a separate room, League One to another, League Two likewise. All discussing minor issues. But who’s discussing the major issues? We never discuss relationships with the Premier League or the National League. That’s above our pay grade. Shaun Harvey (former EFL Chief Exec) would have an agenda set with and by the Premier League. No English Football League (EFL) teams were asking for B teams. No EFL clubs were pushing for changes to the transfer window. No EFL clubs were asking for 5^th round replays to be scrapped. The board just found ways to get what they wanted. When a vote was had, many times all of the options available suited the Premier League. We tried to get failing clubs on the agenda. Nicolas Palios (Tranmere Chairman) stood up in a meeting to raise the issue and was swept aside, like I was when asking WHY we were discussing irrelevant issues whilst the house was burning down.” 

Despite all its riches, football is a financial car crash. The FA Cup is one of the few ways left to throw lower league clubs a life raft. Yet this is now under attack. But as Andy Holt points out “They don’t realise that they to are on the ship that is listing. It doesn’t matter what class of passenger you are when the ship goes down. The top 6 are eating caviar at the captains table, down below decks we can see the water coming in.”

“The FA Cup binds the pyramid together. Big clubs, small clubs come together annually in a celebration of English football. We need to cherish it.”

SLOUGH TOWN NEEDS YOU

Printed in the National League South game v Dartford Saturday 18^th January 2020 
We won 1-0 in front of 854

 

The past decade has been kind to Slough.

Just ten years ago we were homeless and playing against Beaconsfield on a Boxing Day derby in front of just 297 people in the Southern League Central Division.

Some local councillors told us we should merge with Windsor. We spent one season getting thrashed every week culminating in a 9-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon which sealed our relegation. I remember turning up at Chelmsford and our manager telling us another five players had left and half-joking with one of our supporters that he might have to pull on his boots. Local clubs enjoyed taking us down a peg or two, with the AFC Hayes tannoy man and their manager always asking sarcastically how our search for a new ground was going as they once again beat us. We were knocked out of the FA Cup by Erith Town, Hanworth Villa and Wroxham.

I was there when Steve Easterbrook was introduced after a game as our new chairman. With Steve at the helm the building blocks for a new club were slowly put in place. He didn't splash the cash or promise football league in five years like so many flash-in-the-pan idiots who are foolishly entrusted with running football clubs. I interviewed Steve for that Boxing Day Beaconsfield programme. He talked about his plans for the club, how it was much easier to be chairman when the club was winning; the difference between running a successful business and a football club – and how incredibly frustrating the slow progress of getting a ground back in Slough was. Following that interview it was to be another six years before we finally moved into Arbour Park.

But the last answer to the question where he would like Slough to be in 10 years time was very prophetic. “Assuming we are back in Slough I see no reason why we should not be in the Conference South League competing for promotion into the Conference.”

Enter joint managers Neil and Jon who have been at the club seven years and overseen over 500 games delivering success after success. If you haven't yet done so, I recommend you listen to The Non League Gaffer Tapes where they are interviewed by former Rebels assistant manager Dave Anderson for a fascinating if slightly concerning discussion.

The hour long candid talk covers everything from how joint management works for them, how they embrace social media but try to inform rather than get into debates. It is also evident that both are ambitious and want the chance to manage as high up the leagues as they can.

So can Slough Town match these ambitions?

Crowds are not growing as much as they had hoped (up just 5% on last year) and its hard for a number of reasons to get Arbour Park rocking. But really in a town like Slough we should be knocking on a thousand for every game.

Ten years ago Windsor went bust under debts of nearly £250,000. They have spent the proceeding decade as a mid-table Hellenic League club. It's a stark reminder of how not to run a football club. In contrast the Rebels are financially stable after prudent management and two memorable cup runs. But it's expensive running a football club at our level and the steering group that took over from Steve Easterbrook are looking for investors to push the club forward. To meet Neil and Jon's ambitions the club would need a financial boost to support the significant increased costs of running a National League team. If investors are out there, now is the time to come forward.

So apart from chatting up rich relatives what can we do as supporters?

One simple but very effective way to help is bring more people to games. Slough Town needs to better reflect the place it represents and we all need to get behind Mark Bailey, our new community engagement manager if this is going to happen. Ask for posters and free tickets so you can entice people to come and Mark is always happy to provide these. If every regular Slough fan took a poster and two tickets for six local schools or businesses in their neighbourhood that would be a tremendous boost to attendance and would only take an hour of your day to distribute. This strategy is already working but there is only so much of a huge town like Slough one man can cover!

It's a fine balancing act. As someone with a Slough and Brighton season ticket, I much prefer the family friendly feel of non league. I love what we have now and I wouldn't want to jeopardise that but like all Slough fans we don't want to lose who I reckon are the best two managers in my Slough Town footballing lifetime.

It's in our hands.