Category Archives: Vanarama National League

Vanarama National League column – Awaydays

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The Long Away Trip – by Luke Coulson of Ebbsfleet United 

In July, when the fixtures are announced for the upcoming season, players in every team immediately scan the matches. The dates of the heated, local derby, the league favourites and when a player will return to their former club are all quickly noted down. However, everyone in the squad keeps an eye out for the dates of the long, dreaded away trips.

Fortunately for us, the 400 mile round trip for our game against Macclesfield fell on a Saturday, not a Tuesday night.

After a short, sharp training session on the Friday morning, the bus was loaded up and the journey north started as usual. Staff sat at the front with the players behind in their usual, season long seats, which were simply pre-empted on the very first away trip. Coffee from the local Costa wafted down the aisle, the slow RnB music began, newspapers rustled, sweets emerged and laptops were switched on.

During a long, mundane journey, some aspects will never change. Some players will fall asleep; a few will intently watch the latest TV shows such as Power and Game of Thrones and the youngest player will have to make the hot drinks. An added constant occurrence is when I win the UNO tournament at the back of the bus, which is when I have the time between watching films and writing blogs.

The journey to Macclesfield took five hours and upon arrival at the hotel, room keys were handed out and every player arrived early for dinner due to hunger and the fear of a fine for being late. Towards the end of the meal, the sound of a glass being hit brought laughter to the room as it signalled an initiation song. Due to the tradition of every football club, our new signing, Antonio German, had to stand on a chair and sing to us. Antonio sang ‘Burn’ by Usher and it wasn’t a bad attempt. However, after my rendition of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ by Rick Astley, he was never going to sound amazing.

Similar to our previous away trips, the rest of the evening and the following morning is then free time that our manager entrusts us to use wisely, to make sure that we are prepared for the game. On the day of the match, a team meeting is always held prior to our pre match meal before we depart for the stadium and the three o’clock kick off creeps ever closer.

Each football club is different to their approach of a long distance away game. It is not uncommon for teams to set off early on a Saturday morning or travel down via train. However, our gaffer, Daryl McMahon and his backroom staff want to give us every advantage of winning, which is why no expense is spared and every need is catered for.

Although our preparation was faultless, we suffered our second loss of the season and our first away defeat. The result kept Macclesfield top of the table as we now sit in 14th, only three points off a playoff spot. 

The journey home after a defeat is always miserable initially. Yet, as with a pre-match routine, every player deals with a defeat in their own way. Personally, I separate myself for a while, listen to music and self reflect on my own performance. However, it is important to make sure the journey home doesn’t remain a sombre affair as another game could be just days away.

The tedious journeys away from home make you appreciate playing in front of the home crowd that much more. Which is why, we might only be in October but I simply can’t wait for March 17th, Gateshead away.

See more on the Vanarama National League here: http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/

For great leasing deals visit Vanarama: http://www.vanarama.co.uk/

Vanarama National League column – Oct 11

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A weekly column covering the National League in association with FWA partners Vanarama .  This week Glenn Moore on 3G pitches and Sutton United’s rise.

Bruce Elliott, the chairman of Sutton United, stood in the south London club’s decent-sized car park, and said: “You used to be able to come here in the week and – except for matchdays, could always park. Now any evening, and lots of times in the day, there’s nowhere to park.” And he smiled.

There is a reason for the shortage of parking, and it lies on the other side of the main stand. Two acres of state-of-the-art, FIFA Quality Pro standard 3G artificial turf has transformed Sutton’s relationship with the community and contributed significantly to the well-being of a club pushing for promotion to the Football League for the first time in its 119-year history.

“The pitch has had a huge impact,” said Elliott. “I keep telling people this is the best thing this football club has ever done. The two seasons prior to putting the pitch in we went six weeks, and seven weeks, without anything happening on the pitch at all. From a cash-flow and supporter-interest point-of-view, that doesn’t work. No one rings up now to find out if the game is on.”

This is not the case elsewhere. Winter is yet to bite but there has already been one postponement in Sutton’s Vanarama National League, travelling Chester fans left infuriated by the late call-off of their match at Eastleigh last month because of a waterlogged pitch. Fixture security is not, though, the main argument for 3G.

“We can use 3G 40-50 hours a week instead of two hours every two weeks,” added Elliott. “The first team now train on it – we were paying to go somewhere else. We used to pay another club to host our youth team games, we host and train them here. We have two ground shares, Sutton Common Rovers and Wimbledon Ladies. We have ladies sides of our own we have started this season, there is the junior section, three disability sides and now an academy with 80-90 boys based here at the club. They all use the pitch.”

There is, however, a cloud on the horizon. If Sutton go up – and they lie fourth in the Vanarama National League, two points behind leaders Macclesfield – they will have to tear up the pitch to be allowed promotion. However, the Football League almost accepted plastic a couple of seasons ago and it is back on the agenda in next month’s league meeting.

Some opponents feel the pitch confers an unfair advantage but the three Vanarama National League teams with 3G pitches last season – Sutton, Maidstone and Bromley – all finished mid-table having lost, between them, a third of their home games.

While better than many grass pitches at this level the ball does tend to run off quickly on 3G and on Saturday the combination of surface and strong wind troubled both Sutton and visitors Fylde in the first half. However, when the wind dropped there was some decent football played on a surface that – as Arsenal showed in the FA Cup last season last season – rewards technical sides. Sutton’s second goal, inspired by Josh Taylor’s slalom down the left wing, highlighted this.

Despite Lewis Montrose’s subsequent dismissal a late rally from Fylde, still finding their feet in the Vanarama National League after rapid promotions, made for a tense finish. Sutton held on to win 2-1, stay in the promotion frame, and keep the 3G debate simmering.

For more from the Vanarama National League visit: http://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/

For great deals on vehicle leasing from Vanarama visit: http://www.vanarama.co.uk/