BOREHAM WOOD chairman Danny Hunter has slammed the decision to bring forward their National League game at Tranmere as “ridiculous”.
Wood were scheduled to travel to Prenton Park on Saturday, February 25 but with both clubs scheduled to be in FA Trophy action, a new date had to be sought.
The clubs were informed on Tuesday that the match would be brought forward to Tuesday, February 21, giving Wood just a week's notice.
The Hertfordshire club claim they offered “several suitable alternative dates” but that the National League “stepped in and ordered us to play the game at Tranmere's request”.
Hunter says many of the club's players, who are part-time, may be unable to get time off work at short notice to make the trip to the Wirral but that his pleas fell on deaf ears.
Hunter said: “We of course respect the decision and the fact that Tranmere strongly wanted this game to be played ASAP. However, to have it forced upon us by the League before the original match date had passed, at the behest of a big club, is alarming for a part-time club like ours.
“Managers at the other title challenging clubs I'm sure will not be happy when they learn that many of our players have other day jobs and seven days notice for these players may mean they are unavailable which is ridiculous.
“It's even more ridiculous, when the League rules state, that we have 42 days to reschedule the game and there were plenty of dates available for it to be played, with sufficient notice.
“It's clear Tranmere want us at our weakest and want to play us when we are struggling to field a team.
“We will of course do our best to field as strong a side as possible, but we have eight players in our squad who coach during the day, and we have other key players like goalkeeper Grant Smith, Kenny Davis, Joe Devera, Ben Nunn, skipper Mark Ricketts and our assistant manager Jason Goodliffe, who have other day jobs and with less than seven days notice, what does the league expect them or their employers to do?”
The Wood chairman said that he feels his club's viewpoint has been “completely disregarded” and added that they would seek the opinion of a “higher authority”.
“In my opinion and at the risk of repeating myself, seven days' notice does not give our part time players or our supporters sufficient time to sort out dates or take holiday in regards to their day jobs,” Hunter added.
“Plus if we cannot field our best team, how does that keep the integrity of the competition intact?
“Let's be clear, if this game goes ahead, we might have to travel with only eight fit senior players next Tuesday, with eight academy boys including an academy goalkeeper and possibly with no senior goalkeeper or assistant manager, which is ludicrous.”
Well the problem is Sutton’s continued involvement in the FA Cup and Tranmere’s involvement in the FA Trophy. Tranmere still have to rearrange a match with Sutton, which can’t be done until their FA Cup journey ends, with a possibility of a further two weekend matches (should Tranmere reach the FAT semi finals) needing rescheduling or a replay forcing another rescheduling if they draw with Barrow in the next round of the FAT.
It’s best all round for Borehamwood and for the 5000 home fans that have to make arrangements to have a date upon which the game can definitely be played rather than having to constantly reschedule due to other competitions.
It’s all very well Borehamwood complaining about short notice but perhaps if the rule forcing the game to be played within 42 days had been relaxed, a midweek at the end of the season could have been found instead. Ask the NL why that rule exists?