Exactly that.biccynana wrote:I always assumed it was to take a bit of pressure off ahead of the inevitable postponements once the weather turns, gramps.Darlogramps wrote:Never understood why they cram so many games into the first few weeks of the season. Seven in 23 days I make it.
Fixture Release
Re: Fixture Release
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Re: Fixture Release
But there's no reason they couldn't move one of the August midweeks into the first couple of weeks in September for example.
After August we only have two midweek fixtures all season, with one of those being a Bank Holiday (excluding the Xmas period).
After August we only have two midweek fixtures all season, with one of those being a Bank Holiday (excluding the Xmas period).
Re: Fixture Release
Unusual that August Bank Holiday and Easter Monday games are different.JE93 wrote:Start at home to Curzon Ashton then go away to Spennymoor the following Tuesday night.
August
Saturday 4 August 2018 - Darlington vs Curzon Ashton
Tuesday 7 August 2018 - Spennymoor Town vs Darlington
Saturday 11 August 2018 - Brackley Town vs Darlington
Wednesday 15 August 2018 - Darlington vs Blyth Spartans
Saturday 18 August 2018 - Kidderminster Harriers vs Darlington
Saturday 25 August 2018 - Darlington vs Altrincham
Monday 27 August 2018 - Ashton United vs Darlington
September
Saturday 1 September 2018 - Darlington vs Alfreton Town
Saturday 8 September 2018 - Darlington vs AFC Telford United
Saturday 15 September 2018 - Southport vs Darlington
Saturday 29 September 2018 - Darlington vs Stockport County
October
Saturday 13 October 2018 - FC United Of Manchester vs Darlington
Saturday 20 October 2018 - Darlington vs Boston United
Saturday 27 October 2018 - Leamington vs Darlington
Tuesday 30 October 2018 - Bradford Park Avenue vs Darlington
November
Saturday 3 November 2018 - Darlington vs Guiseley
Saturday 10 November 2018 - Chorley vs Darlington
Saturday 17 November 2018 - Darlington vs Hereford
December
Saturday 1 December 2018 - Chester vs Darlington
Saturday 8 December 2018 - Darlington vs Nuneaton Borough
Saturday 22 December 2018 - Altrincham vs Darlington
Wednesday 26 December 2018 - Darlington vs York City
Saturday 29 December 2018 - Darlington vs Ashton United
January
Tuesday 1 January 2019 - York City vs Darlington
Saturday 5 January 2019 - Darlington vs Kidderminster Harriers
Saturday 12 January 2019 - Alfreton Town vs Darlington
Saturday 19 January 2019 - Darlington vs Spennymoor Town
Saturday 26 January 2019 - Curzon Ashton vs Darlington
February
Saturday 2 February 2019 - Darlington vs Brackley Town
Saturday 9 February 2019 - Blyth Spartans vs Darlington
Saturday 16 February 2019 - Darlington vs Southport
Saturday 23 February 2019 - AFC Telford United vs Darlington
March
Saturday 2 March 2019 - Darlington vs Chorley
Saturday 9 March 2019 - Hereford vs Darlington
Saturday 16 March 2019 - Darlington vs Chester
Saturday 23 March 2019 - Nuneaton Borough vs Darlington
Saturday 30 March 2019 - Stockport County vs Darlington
April
Saturday 6 April 2019 - Darlington vs FC United Of Manchester
Saturday 13 April 2019 - Boston United vs Darlington
Saturday 20 April 2019 - Darlington vs Bradford Park Avenue
Monday 22 April 2019 - Guiseley vs Darlington
Saturday 27 April 2019 - Darlington vs Leamington
Re: Fixture Release
If you mean we play different teams on the Sat and Mon of each of those bank hols, it was the same last season and the season before that. I thought it was just Xmas/NY bank hols where playing the same team home and away was traditional.Darlo2807 wrote:
Unusual that August Bank Holiday and Easter Monday games are different.
Re: Fixture Release
Maybe the Spennymoor games were just coincidental because the Saturday games were differentbiccynana wrote:If you mean we play different teams on the Sat and Mon of each of those bank hols, it was the same last season and the season before that. I thought it was just Xmas/NY bank hols where playing the same team home and away was traditional.Darlo2807 wrote:
Unusual that August Bank Holiday and Easter Monday games are different.
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Re: Fixture Release
Not as much as previous seasons by the looks of it. Last couple of years we have had 2 additional mid-weekers scheduled in September, none this time around.Darlogramps wrote:Never understood why they cram so many games into the first few weeks of the season. Seven in 23 days I make it.
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Re: Fixture Release
Nope you are right, definite change this season.Darlo2807 wrote:Maybe the Spennymoor games were just coincidental because the Saturday games were differentbiccynana wrote:If you mean we play different teams on the Sat and Mon of each of those bank hols, it was the same last season and the season before that. I thought it was just Xmas/NY bank hols where playing the same team home and away was traditional.Darlo2807 wrote:
Unusual that August Bank Holiday and Easter Monday games are different.
Season 16/17 - FC Utd (August and April Bank Holiday) & Halifax (Boxing Day/New Years Day Bank Hols)
Season 17/18 - Spennymoor Town (August and April Bank Holiday - although April was called off due to waterlogged pitch) & Harrogate Town (Boxing Day/New Years Day Bank Hols)
Season 18/19 - Ashton Utd (August BH Away), Guiseley (April BH Away) & York City (Boxing Day/New Years Day Bank Hols)
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Re: Fixture Release
Don't forget cup gamesbiccynana wrote:I always assumed it was to take a bit of pressure off ahead of the inevitable postponements once the weather turns, gramps.Darlogramps wrote:Never understood why they cram so many games into the first few weeks of the season. Seven in 23 days I make it.
Re: Fixture Release
What are they ?Maurice_Peddelty wrote:Don't forget cup gamesbiccynana wrote:I always assumed it was to take a bit of pressure off ahead of the inevitable postponements once the weather turns, gramps.Darlogramps wrote:Never understood why they cram so many games into the first few weeks of the season. Seven in 23 days I make it.
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Re: Fixture Release
Cup games? Don't be silly.Maurice_Peddelty wrote:Don't forget cup gamesbiccynana wrote:I always assumed it was to take a bit of pressure off ahead of the inevitable postponements once the weather turns, gramps.Darlogramps wrote:Never understood why they cram so many games into the first few weeks of the season. Seven in 23 days I make it.
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Re: Fixture Release
Games we usually lose!!banktopp wrote:What are they ?Maurice_Peddelty wrote:Don't forget cup gamesbiccynana wrote:I always assumed it was to take a bit of pressure off ahead of the inevitable postponements once the weather turns, gramps.Darlogramps wrote:Never understood why they cram so many games into the first few weeks of the season. Seven in 23 days I make it.
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Re: Fixture Release
Also an extra fixture between Christmas and New Year this season, compared to last?super_les_mcjannet wrote:Nope you are right, definite change this season.Darlo2807 wrote:Maybe the Spennymoor games were just coincidental because the Saturday games were differentbiccynana wrote:If you mean we play different teams on the Sat and Mon of each of those bank hols, it was the same last season and the season before that. I thought it was just Xmas/NY bank hols where playing the same team home and away was traditional.Darlo2807 wrote:
Unusual that August Bank Holiday and Easter Monday games are different.
Season 16/17 - FC Utd (August and April Bank Holiday) & Halifax (Boxing Day/New Years Day Bank Hols)
Season 17/18 - Spennymoor Town (August and April Bank Holiday - although April was called off due to waterlogged pitch) & Harrogate Town (Boxing Day/New Years Day Bank Hols)
Season 18/19 - Ashton Utd (August BH Away), Guiseley (April BH Away) & York City (Boxing Day/New Years Day Bank Hols)
"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"
Re: Fixture Release
tbf people have whinged in the opposite direction after last season. Asking why more midweek games aren't played at the start of the season to avoid back logs at the end.Darlogramps wrote:Never understood why they cram so many games into the first few weeks of the season. Seven in 23 days I make it.
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Re: Fixture Release
They can't in this league, given it's always packed towards the top end.lo36789 wrote:tbf people have whinged in the opposite direction after last season. Asking why more midweek games aren't played at the start of the season to avoid back logs at the end.Darlogramps wrote:Never understood why they cram so many games into the first few weeks of the season. Seven in 23 days I make it.
I'm not whinging either way - just pointing out that instead of playing seven games in 23 days (which we'd all agree is fairly intense), then having one midweek game in eight months, you could quite easily move one of the August midweek games into September before the cup competitions start.
Plus as DarloFan97 points out, it was two games a week through until mid-September last year (with the exception of one week), so anyone complaining that more games weren't played at the start of the season doesn't really know what they're talking about. They'd only have been able to fit in one extra game before the cup competitions started.
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Re: Fixture Release
Also seems a shame to 'cram' games into August, when people may well be on holiday, rather than September, when those with school age kids certainly won't. Pitches should not be unplayable in September.
Re: Fixture Release
Not saying it’s right or wrong but I thing the motivation is to avoid back log at the end of the season.
I mean strictly speaking all they have done is schedule two midweek games during the first two weeks of the season. The rest are Saturdays / Bank holiday.
I am not really sure it’s extreme fixture cramming when looked at like that.
I mean strictly speaking all they have done is schedule two midweek games during the first two weeks of the season. The rest are Saturdays / Bank holiday.
I am not really sure it’s extreme fixture cramming when looked at like that.
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Re: Fixture Release
I haven't called it "extreme fixture cramming." No one has. Not sure why you've decided to use that phrase.lo36789 wrote:Not saying it’s right or wrong but I thing the motivation is to avoid back log at the end of the season.
I mean strictly speaking all they have done is schedule two midweek games during the first two weeks of the season. The rest are Saturdays / Bank holiday.
I am not really sure it’s extreme fixture cramming when looked at like that.
I've said it's seven games in 23 days (which it is). If we had that at any other point in the season we'd be calling it a busy period.
Making the first month so busy seems unnecessary when you could a spread a couple of the games across the next couple of months without any bother whatsoever. That's all I'm saying.
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Re: Fixture Release
By putting more fixtures in at the start of the season, it means that there are virtually no midweek games for the remainder of the season, which helps part time players and fans travel to away games.
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Re: Fixture Release
Leagues further down the pyramid (like the Wearside) who have teams without floodlights traditionally have a heavy August schedule to take advantage of the light nights. At that level, one thing it does highlight - the extra importance of "hitting the ground running". No time to allow a team to gel -a poor start and you can almost be out of the title race by September
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Re: Fixture Release
Didn't hinder Salford last season, when they lost their first game of the season to us. But I tend to agree, with what you say.Nigel Batches Beard wrote:Leagues further down the pyramid (like the Wearside) who have teams without floodlights traditionally have a heavy August schedule to take advantage of the light nights. At that level, one thing it does highlight - the extra importance of "hitting the ground running". No time to allow a team to gel -a poor start and you can almost be out of the title race by September
Re: Fixture Release
What you say of course is nonsense, because there are the same number of midweek games, its just the spread of them that is different. This way they are condensed into the start of the season.Darlo_Pete wrote:By putting more fixtures in at the start of the season, it means that there are virtually no midweek games for the remainder of the season, which helps part time players and fans travel to away games.
A play or fan travelling to a midweek away game in say Kidderminster has the same problems regarding time off worl whether game is midweek in August or midweek in February
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Re: Fixture Release
I'm a part time fan and August or February, it makes no difference to my travel to games! And this year I'm hoping to get to Curzon for the first time ever.
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Re: Fixture Release
spen666 wrote:What you say of course is nonsense, because there are the same number of midweek games, its just the spread of them that is different. This way they are condensed into the start of the season.Darlo_Pete wrote:By putting more fixtures in at the start of the season, it means that there are virtually no midweek games for the remainder of the season, which helps part time players and fans travel to away games.
A play or fan travelling to a midweek away game in say Kidderminster has the same problems regarding time off worl whether game is midweek in August or midweek in February
I know when I would prefer to travel though
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Re: Fixture Release
More chance of it being called off in Feb rather than August/September, which could waste everyone's time.
The league plan it quite well in all honesty, could make a few little changes but generally the fixtures are well organised.
The league plan it quite well in all honesty, could make a few little changes but generally the fixtures are well organised.
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Re: Fixture Release
When there's no-one on the tracks?!!
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Re: Fixture Release
I assumed the theory was, that by loading the midweek fixtures in the, hopefully, fine weather, the midweeks later in the season were free to accomodate re-arranged fixtures.
Re: Fixture Release
Thanks Joe, for bringing some common sense to this thread.
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Re: Fixture Release
one game is either here nor there - but seven in the first month can make or break a teams season before its hardly begunDarlo_Pete wrote:Didn't hinder Salford last season, when they lost their first game of the season to us. But I tend to agree, with what you say.Nigel Batches Beard wrote:Leagues further down the pyramid (like the Wearside) who have teams without floodlights traditionally have a heavy August schedule to take advantage of the light nights. At that level, one thing it does highlight - the extra importance of "hitting the ground running". No time to allow a team to gel -a poor start and you can almost be out of the title race by September
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Re: Fixture Release
Theres always someone on the tracksdon'tbuythesun wrote:When there's no-one on the tracks?!!
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Re: Fixture Release
It's the same for all the teams, so hopefully we'll not suffer any bad injuries or suspensions over this hectic period.Nigel Batches Beard wrote:one game is either here nor there - but seven in the first month can make or break a teams season before its hardly begunDarlo_Pete wrote:Didn't hinder Salford last season, when they lost their first game of the season to us. But I tend to agree, with what you say.Nigel Batches Beard wrote:Leagues further down the pyramid (like the Wearside) who have teams without floodlights traditionally have a heavy August schedule to take advantage of the light nights. At that level, one thing it does highlight - the extra importance of "hitting the ground running". No time to allow a team to gel -a poor start and you can almost be out of the title race by September