County's fury over re-arranged Gateshead fixture

5:18pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Michael Pearlman

FURIOUS Newport County director of football Tim Harris believes the Football Conference will be making “a disgraceful mistake” if they force the Exiles to play their re-arranged game with Gateshead next Thursday.

Gateshead announced on their website that the clash will now be on Thursday, March 21, at York City, despite Newport appealing against that and offering two other potential dates to stage the clash.

The Exiles play Kidderminster at home just 48-hours before, but it’s the issue of successive long away trips that has irked the Exiles.

They must now go to York, Stockport and Southport, which equates to around 1,400 miles of travelling, in just five days.

County have lodged an appeal to the Conference and proposed a third date – March 28 – for the game to take place, and have also aimed criticism directly at Gates-head.

“This has descended into a ludicrous situation, the inconvenience and cost involved for us as a club and for our supporters is totally unacceptable,” Harris explained.

“The way Gateshead and the league have dealt with the whole thing is embarrassing, making us play next Thursday would be a disgraceful mistake.

“The nuts and bolts of it is that if they (the Conference) force us to play the game then – which they can do – then we will be forced to travel for three long away trips in five days without any home game to break it up.

“We understand there are issues of fairness of competition but nonetheless you need to not give a club a complete and utter handicap like we’ve just been given.

“This is a professional league and we’re expected to travel by coach to three places in such a short space of time?

“It gives us a massive disadvantage, it could very well hurt our chances in what is a finely balanced league table and we are furious, as you can understand and I’m sure our fans can.”

Harris isn’t usually keen to be quoted in the press but feels he has been backed into a corner during this unsatisfactory saga.

“We aren’t happy with Gateshead either, they’ve posted certain things on their website before anyone from their club has contacted us,” he said.

“If you remember back, this has come about because we did Gateshead a favour in December by switching the games (County’s away trip wouldn’t have been on so Gateshead instead came to play at Rodney Parade) and look what our reward is!

“We unquestionably lost revenue for that one, it was our lowest attendance at Rodney Parade because of the short notice, and despite doing a good turn, I feel we’ve subsequently been treated appallingly.

“I have gone back to the Football Conference and suggested March 28 (to play Gateshead) and I hope very much they’ll help to accommodate us, even though that wasn’t one of our first two choices either.

“We have to fight for what is right for Newport County and if we are forced to play next Thursday it’ll be clear to everyone that the situation we find ourselves in is entirely unjust.”

Comments(27)

netala says...
5:39pm Wed 13 Mar 13

now tell me this is not a conspiracy. we will not get any help from the football conference, they are hell bent on keeeping us out of the football league.to say the fans will be upset is an understatement, and i defy anyone to argue against them. this decision is an utter disgrace.do some one favour, and they s**t on you excuse the language.

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COUNTYVOICE says...
6:08pm Wed 13 Mar 13

stand up for yourself county, or you will be trodden over

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County says...
6:14pm Wed 13 Mar 13

28 March doesn't make any sense, we'd still be playing the same three games in a six day period.

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MX47 says...
6:32pm Wed 13 Mar 13

County wrote:
28 March doesn't make any sense, we'd still be playing the same three games in a six day period.
We'll hopefully have more players available. Important, especially if we loose a couple in the previous games.

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sooty001 says...
7:25pm Wed 13 Mar 13

We must stand up to these big wigs, they treat us like s**t then expect us to perform for their T V showpeices, this is the most wide open Conference finish in years and these incompetent big wigs are about to mess the whole thing up because of the tv money from the play offs, it makes my blood boil. Just as well that I cannot leave a comment on the Conference website because I would probably leave myself open to prosecution.

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venga says...
7:58pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Professional footballers should be able to take this! Not ideal I know, but get a grip it's not life and death...use the squad, the season is not just about these games but about the whole nine months. If they don't get automatic promotion it's because of games they should have won and attitude along the way. We can still do it, turn your angr into adrenalin and go out there and show those s.o.b's that you are worthy of the football league. So stop tearing your hair out and go for it!

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D Taylor says...
9:56pm Wed 13 Mar 13

A few weeks ago the County allowed the home fixture with Kidderminster Harriers to be postponed even though the pitch looked playable and was certainly not water-logged as they claimed. Doesn't look so clever now does it?

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jetspotter says...
10:18pm Wed 13 Mar 13

Agreed Venga. No it's not ideal but they just have to soldier on and get the job done. Success will be all the sweeter knowing that promotion has been achieved the hard way. When the going gets tough..........!!!

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COUNTYVOICE says...
3:10am Thu 14 Mar 13

everything seems to finishing sooner this season.

the end of the league season now the 20th april , last year 28th april , normally the first week of may.

the trophy final has now even been brought forward to march from last years may

this season seems to be naturally congested even before postponements, there appears to be no contingencies to excessive postponements and fixture pile ups.

the other leagues above the conference seem to finish weeks later, the premiership even in the first week of may.

why not all leagues finishing on the first saturday in may like all did in the good old days.

the conference are asking for trouble finishing almost two weeks before everyone else, BAFFLING.

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Missing Somerton says...
8:33am Thu 14 Mar 13

County,

Yes I'd spotted that too. Thursday 11th April makes more sense.

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cambridge4x4 says...
8:34am Thu 14 Mar 13

If you are forced to play these games in such a short period, why would you not stay a few nights in a hotel at a mid point bewteen York, Southport and Stockport. Surely the Conference can help arrange a training facility and also pay a part of hotel bill . Makes no sense to be on a 1400 mile blitz.
Ask the Friends to also help pay for it .!

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cambridge4x4 says...
8:44am Thu 14 Mar 13

On a serious note , I need to see the club in Div 2 next season . Are there 50 or 60 of us willing to give 100 pounds each to put the team in a hotel.
I am.

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Missing Somerton says...
10:12am Thu 14 Mar 13

Doesn't help that Graham Wood (Gateshead Chairman) is on the Blue Square Premier Board. Also Gateshead's new ground (if it ever happens) is at least 2 years away so there'll be 2 more years of this shambles. Unless they are kicked out like any other team would be!

Still it won't affect County!

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sooty001 says...
10:13am Thu 14 Mar 13

In regard to D Taylor,s comment about the postponed Kidderminster game, if you had gone over the Parade and seen the work taking place to get that game on and the efforts made by the ground staff then you would have seen the state of the pitch and would have realised why the game was called off, in a word it was UNFIT.

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Missing Somerton says...
10:15am Thu 14 Mar 13

County probably lost about £10,000 on rearranging the first Gateshead match as County had a bit of a slump (their only one) at the time thus it was the lowest gate of the season. You can bet there would have been at least 500 more there had it been played in February.

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ncfcr says...
11:01am Thu 14 Mar 13

Calm down everyone. This kind of siege mentality will do us a favour if anything. It should work up the fans and get everyone pulling in the same direction.

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jetspotter says...
11:31am Thu 14 Mar 13

C.V. asks some very pertinent questions. What is the rush to get the season finished so early ? Anyone know ?

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Kevin Ward - Editor says...
12:29pm Thu 14 Mar 13

Champions League Final at Wembley this season. Means matches like the Conference play-off final have been moved forward at least a week compared to last year.

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Tony Soprano says...
12:38pm Thu 14 Mar 13

sooty001 wrote:
In regard to D Taylor,s comment about the postponed Kidderminster game, if you had gone over the Parade and seen the work taking place to get that game on and the efforts made by the ground staff then you would have seen the state of the pitch and would have realised why the game was called off, in a word it was UNFIT.
Exactly, it's easier to just sit at a keyboard & criticise, the club certainly wouldn't want any games postponed as the only outcome is fixture congestion.
Gateshead FC should pay for our players to stay in a hotel, simple as that, a favour for a favour.

Anyway guys, Keep the faith!! CTWD

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jetspotter says...
1:06pm Thu 14 Mar 13

Thanks Kevin. Shame we have to suffer for it though.

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sooty001 says...
1:15pm Thu 14 Mar 13

Kevin Ward - Editor wrote:
Champions League Final at Wembley this season. Means matches like the Conference play-off final have been moved forward at least a week compared to last year.
Spot on Kevin.Right now lets vent all our anger and frustration on the rest of teams we have to play and show these conference big wigs that we don,t need them because we will not be in this league NEXT season

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JENKO1965 says...
2:22pm Thu 14 Mar 13

IM JUST AMAZED THAT GATESHEAD CAN PLAY THEIR HOME GAMES AT EVERYONE ELSES GROUND, BUT COUNTY COULDNT PLAY A GAME AT RODNEY PARADE LAST YEAR, BUT THEN HAVING READ THAT GATESHEADS CHAIRMAN IS ON THE BOARD EXPLAINS IT ALL REALLY, YOU CAN BET YOUR LAT PENNY THAT THIS GAME WILL BE PLAYED ON THE 21st

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llandaff says...
4:07pm Thu 14 Mar 13

As I said in a previous email. In these "extraordinary" times, for the remaining games County should play team "A" in the first half and go hell for leather for goals with our best strikers on, three if necessary. Then play team "B" in the second half using all the subs and defend, defend, kick it anywhere! There are no rules to say that we have to be pretty. Got to find a way to conserve energy and win. County have to play this very tactically indeed.
But I agree with cambridge 4x4 surely it is not beyond the wit of man or the County to get a hotel up North for few days to avoid all the travelling and use a local public park if necessary for practice.
We should look forward to some red faces in BSBL at the end of the season.
Up the County!

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jetspotter says...
4:55pm Thu 14 Mar 13

Nice idea Llandaff but a bit problematic if it's 0-0 at half time ! Still J.E. will certainly have to use his resources wisely to overcome this difficult situation.Agree about the hotel up North,I suspect it's more the travelling than the matches that are tiring-especially if a team is winning. As for the expense (as someone has already mentioned) isn't this precisely what 'Friends' are for ?

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COUNTYVOICE says...
7:37pm Thu 14 Mar 13

OIC the european cup final .fair enough

BUT WITH HINDSIGHT couldnt the league season have started a week or two earlier as well to compensate?

this shortened season has still hit clubs with fixture pile ups and this becomes more important as you battle for promotion or fight against relegation

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D Taylor says...
9:29pm Thu 14 Mar 13

JENKO1965 wrote:
IM JUST AMAZED THAT GATESHEAD CAN PLAY THEIR HOME GAMES AT EVERYONE ELSES GROUND, BUT COUNTY COULDNT PLAY A GAME AT RODNEY PARADE LAST YEAR, BUT THEN HAVING READ THAT GATESHEADS CHAIRMAN IS ON THE BOARD EXPLAINS IT ALL REALLY, YOU CAN BET YOUR LAT PENNY THAT THIS GAME WILL BE PLAYED ON THE 21st
Chris Blight was on the Conference board at the time.

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D Taylor says...
9:31pm Thu 14 Mar 13

sooty001 wrote:
In regard to D Taylor,s comment about the postponed Kidderminster game, if you had gone over the Parade and seen the work taking place to get that game on and the efforts made by the ground staff then you would have seen the state of the pitch and would have realised why the game was called off, in a word it was UNFIT.
I did look at the pitch, at KO time. I couldn't see anything wrong with it. Certainly no sign of water-lgging. And no attempt had been made to lay it out for football.

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