THE two Taunton Town National League South fixtures against Weymouth over the festive period have been switched.
Boxing Day now sees the Peacocks travel to the Bob Lucas Stadium, instead of hosting the Terras while the return fixture originally scheduled for New Year’s Day in Dorset will now be staged at the Cygnet Health Care Stadium on Friday December 30.
Chairman Kevin Sturmey elaborated on the decision to reverse the fixtures, saying: ”Firstly, this is not a decision we took lightly and of course we wanted it out about two weeks earlier, but we had to follow certain protocols and we looked at everything three dimensionally.
"January is going to be an incredibly hard month for the players, and we felt getting them as much rest after the two Christmas games is vital. We have a small squad and trying to give players the chance to rest niggles and minimalise injuries could help us in what will be a hectic January which includes a Tuesday night trip to Dover.
"There is no hiding place in the National League, and we are still adapting in our first season at this level."
He added that the decision to host the fixture on a Friday night will aide the club financially.
"Commercially we believe the calendar has thrown up a great chance to test this Friday night as we have wanted to trial a Friday and this is probably the last opportunity this season due to travel distances.
"We believe there may be no other matches that night so it’s a great opportunity to “sell” our Club to the occasional fan who may become a regular. We also need to remember Tiverton was our local derby with a rivalry going back decades whereas Weymouth is a newish League match!"
Finally, in response to supporters who may have questioned the decision, Sturmey said: "Both us and Weymouth are desperate to play both games and while of course many people will look at this and question our sanity I personally feel this will give us the best chance to play both games and open us up to new fans who we need to come back regularly, not just for the “big cup games” and Bank Holidays.
"If we get it wrong, we learn and go again, if it goes well then great, we will also look at other ways to keep pushing boundaries and not just accept the status quo.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here