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Chatham Town have had just one training session to prepare for a return to action and manager Scott Lindsey has branded the decision ridiculous.
Lindsey’s players are free to train together again following the end of Lockdown 2 - and they were due to meet yesterday (Thursday) - but after a month of inactivity they are being asked to restart almost immediately, with a second round FA Vase game at Horley Town this Saturday. The Chats boss fears injuries will follow.
Lindsey said: “The wellbeing of the players hasn’t really been considered to get these games played and after being off for four weeks we have just one training session before a 90-minute game which is ridiculous.
“Obviously the people in charge who are making these decisions don’t understand football. There is no way it should be happening. They are trying to squeeze the games in as quickly as they can, because of the pandemic, which I do understand but why couldn’t we have played the game next Tuesday to give us an extra session on the Saturday? It would have still been done in the same week.”
Frustratingly for Chatham, they will then be faced with at least two weeks of inactivity. The Southern Counties East Football League have suspended games for an extra two weeks, which means no league action will take place until at least Boxing Day. If Chatham win on Saturday their third round game would be on December 19.
Lindsey said: “We just have to hope that come 5pm on Saturday we have come out of the game damage limitation and that nobody has any soft tissue injuries or muscle damage, and apart from the result that is the most important thing.
“I just think we need more time to train. As we’re part-time we can’t ask the players to come in for more than one night, they have jobs, but it is what it is and we have to get on with it.
“I will pick the best team that I feel is capable of winning the game. I know they have been doing a fitness programme throughout, they have been doing things on their own, which is different to full-on training, but the players will be as ready as they possibly can be.
“I know it can’t be helped because of the pandemic and it is a massive problem. I just feel they have made a bit of a mistake on this one, in terms of not allowing us longer to train or moving the Vase game to the Tuesday.
“We just have to hope and pray we get through this next game and we continue our run of form. I hope that we can pick up from where we left off.”
Fellow SCEFL Premier Division teams Hollands & Blair and Lordswood will have to wait before returning to action as they are already out of the FA Vase. They are due to face each other at Star Meadow on Sunday, December 27.
The Southern Counties East league took the decision to further delay a return mainly due to the fact that many players and some teams in the league are in a different tier to Kent.
A review will be carried out by the league when the government issues an update on tier restrictions in mid-December.
Lindsey supported the delay, saying: “We have to take into consideration that people are losing their lives and football takes a back seat. It was the right decision for sure.
“We have to get this right before we are back at it fully, we have to make sure the numbers are down and it is a safer environment. It is the right decision.”
Chats’ next scheduled league game will be a home match against title rivals Sheppey United on Boxing Day. A bumper crowd would be expected but if Medway - where Covid rates are rising - remains in tier three then no fans will be there to watch.
Lindsey said: “Is it worth the league starting back on Boxing Day? Do they postpone and leave it another week? I don’t know.
“It would be a shame to have a Boxing Day game without fans, it would almost seem pointless. I know we have to get games in but those games are usually the ones between local rivals and it is one for the fans, a day out, for supporters to watch their game. It is a tradition and I think it would be pointless if fans aren’t allowed in.”
