GAME’S FLOW IN NEED OF A BREAK

By Matt Badcock

IT’S NO longer a game of two halves but one of four quarters.

As always, money makes the earth spin and when the World Cup is serving up hydration breaks even in climate controlled indoor stadiums, you know it’s about the dollar bills.

But even in Non-League football last season we continually saw the orchestrated momentum killers.

You’ve probably noticed. The keeper goes down for treatment and the players all jog over to the sidelines for a drink – and some tactical information.

It did provide a slightly amusing moment last season when Sutton’s Charlie Bell tried to earwig on Rochdale’s huddle – only to be doused in water under, we learnt after, instruction of boss Jimmy McNulty.

But other than that they are annoying. And, let’s be honest, not new. Former Luton Town boss Richard Money would gesture a time-out sign to the crowd when opposition players went down for treatment if they were under the cosh.

Fans want to watch football, not overcoached games of chess. Players jogging over to the sides when keepers go down is supposedly going to be a thing of the past from next season. We’ll see.