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A relentless schedule of league and cup commitments has been tough admits Gillingham boss Neil Harris.
Cup progress has meant for a hectic campaign this season and Harris admitted an FA Cup replay against Dagenham - live on TV next Thursday - was another game he could have done without.
Harris would do away with FA Cup replays and can’t see much point in the EFL Trophy - just two ways of freeing up some space on the calendar.
“It has been non-stop hasn’t it?” said Harris, after their FA Cup second round draw at Dagenham. “While the Premier League and the Championship are taking a lovely break [for the World Cup], other teams won’t have played on Saturday and won’t be having a replay because they got knocked out of the FA Cup, we play again (in a replay).
“When everyone has been knocked out of the Carabao Cup third round or before we play again. It is lovely to do well in the competitions and get through but when you have one of the smallest squads in the league it is also quite tough as well.
“Saturday at home to Salford will be our 29th game and it will be out 30th in the replay (against Dagenham). I think by the time we play Wolves (in the Carabao Cup fourth round) it will be 33 and they have probably played about 14, it’s bonkers, but if you do well in the cups it happens?
“I am not for one moment saying the boys don’t get looked after or prepare properly or have the right facilities, my gripe is that the lower down you go the less facilities you have, less support you have, less staff you have to prepare and less players you have in your squad and you play more games, it is absolutely bonkers.”
Harris wasn’t keen on reducing league games but would certainly like less cup commitments, particularly having had three first-round group games in the unpopular EFL Trophy.
“Reducing the cup competitions would be one (way),” he said. “Why do we have a cup replay? Because the FA want the revenue. Why is there a Papa John’s Trophy? Because of the revenue. Nobody wants to play in the Papa John’s Trophy, we didn’t want to play in it, the fans don’t come and watch it so why do we do it?!”
Few would miss the Trophy but FA Cup replays have been a long-held tradition, now at least reduced to just one, whereas in the past matches would be replayed until a winner was found. Gills fans will recall FA Cup games with Maidstone United in the 1980/81 season and two replays against Everton in 1983/84. It took five to find a winner against Barrow almost a century ago.
Harris admits grudgingly that they might be a thing of the past.
He said: “(It’s the) modern game, we are moving with the times, we now have five subs, you can name seven and use five, name nine in the cups, there is a little support there but in the league you can’t name nine.
“The replay are a tradition and I love the FA Cup, absolutely love it, however the Carabao Cup has done away with replays, it goes to penalties, excitement in it yes, massive excitement, so why not do the same in the FA Cup?”
