The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

BartonRaz wrote: ↑Tue May 29, 2018 12:52 pm

davealbon wrote: ↑Tue May 29, 2018 11:38 am Believe me, getting a professional side to agree to a pre-season friendly is much easier said than done! Unless you have contacts in the management team, like with JE at Northampton last year, you stand very little chance. Even getting an Academy or U21 side is a ball ache.

Out of interest what makes it so difficult? Too many other clubs trying to do the same thing?

There's obviously a huge amount of competition for friendlies with professional clubs, and some clubs definitely do have preconceived issues with non-league pitches, as Bob's Bitch suggested. It's all about who you know in football, and we are a club with very few relevant contacts at professional clubs, so we're always starting from a difficult position when trying to attract them. We can't keep calling on the same contacts every season either.

In terms of what we would learn from playing a Championship reserve or U21 side; potentially quite a lot! You may recall a friendly against Luton Town's academy side prior to our first season (thanks to our relationship to Paul Driver), and they gave us a cracking game which we lost 3-1. We've also had great games against Peterborough Utd (one thanks to a contact there, the other being the Maunsell Cup final), and of course last season's win over the Wobbl£r$ (thanks to the JE link). And although pre-season is predominantly about preparing the players for the season ahead, the games are also an opportunity to bring in some money, at a time when there is plenty going out and little coming in.

St Ives Town have announced 6 friendlies today and each one is against a club from a lower level.