Blakemore fury at fixtures
Chasetown boss Charlie Blakemore has accused the Southern League Midlands of 'acting like 12-year-olds' over their fixtures carve-up.
Chasetown boss Charlie Blakemore has accused the Southern League Midlands of 'acting like 12-year-olds' over their fixtures carve-up.
The Scholars, who have started the season with four straight wins, are incensed at being left with only one of their first four games being at home AND being left with no home matches on any Bank Holiday this season.
"I've never known anything like it," fumed Blakemore.
"Three of our first four games away makes our start even more pleasing.
"To be left with no home fixtures on Bank Holidays is a disgrace - they must have had a 12-year-old doing the fixtures.
"The Southern League are quick to fine people but I think they need to look at themselves in this instance - I'm very disappointed about their lack of organisation.
"Having home fixtures on Bank Holidays is a big difference for non-League teams.
"It's important to have a fair share of them on Bank Holidays because that's when we attract bigger crowds and make more money.
"We're not the only team unhappy with the league - we played Bishops Cleeve this week and they're playing the same team on two successive Saturdays.
"It's really disappointing that they haven't organised things better."
Blakemore revealed the club had written to the Southern League to protest about the arrangement of the fixtures.
Blakemore, meanwhile, is delighted to have achieved a slice of club history - after his side smashed their record for consecutive league wins with nine.
Chasetown have started the season with four successive wins which added to five last season make it nine in total.
"The boffins have told me it's a record for league wins at the club and I'm really pleased for the lads," said the boss.
"At the moment, we're playing attacking football when we need to and we're grinding results out when we need to as well."
But Blakemore has warned his side of the dangers of complacency.
"That formed the basis of team talk before our game against Bishops Cleeve on Monday," he said.
"I told the players there was no place here for it because we haven't even started yet.
"We must keep our feet on the ground and keep focused in every game because if we take our eye off the ball, we'll get caught out.
"The lads are flying and there's a nice confidence about us which comes from winning games and having an excellent team spirit.
"But these games can be very tough and we've got to be on our guard."
