AFC Fylde admit post-lockdown ruling could work in their favour on the road

Thursday’s confirmation that Lancashire will face tier three restrictions once lockdown ends next week means that Fylde coast clubs must continue to stage matches behind closed doors.

Chadwick’s side face Boston United at an empty Mill Farm today and Bradford Park Avenue on Tuesday as they bid to return to winning ways in National League North, having taken only one point from their last two games.

This week’s government announcement came as no surprise to Fylde’s deputy manager, who told The Gazette: “It’s slightly disappointing but it also seemed inevitable.

“We had the feeling it would be the case that we’d be in tier three.

“Still, it’s something for all fans to look forward to and we welcome the government’s announcement about a limited return. It’s just a shame we can’t have our own fans back straight away.”

However, Fylde do face the prospect of crowds up to 2,000 for certain away games, starting with their trip to Hereford on December 12.

Far from seeing this as a disadvantage, Chadwick feels it could work out in his team’s favour.

He added: “It may be an advantage to other teams but we have had a lot of possession this season against teams who had a home crowd behind them.

“The crowd might just push teams to come out and be more adventurous when they play us, which could work to our advantage.

“Playing against a team with a crowd behind them could be more of a help to us than a hindrance. What we do know is that we have to be prepared and be ready.”

This week’s tier three ruling for Lancashire may have no bearing on Fylde’s home games anyway.

The Coasters aren’t scheduled for a home league fixture post-lockdown until Southport’s visit on December 28, by which time the tier system will have undergone a mid-month review.

Indeed, while Fylde coast neighbours Blackpool and Fleetwood Town face a hectic pre-Christmas programme, the pace slows down for the Coasters.

After Tuesday’s match, they are scheduled for only one more league game before Boxing Day, though there are potentially two FA Trophy ties to fit into that period.

Chadwick added: “We will hopefully have a couple of games in the Trophy next month but at present the fixture list for December does look quite sparse.

“We have had a busy start to the season, and whereas some clubs have had breaks, we’ve been averaging more than a game a week.”

Today’s game will be Fylde’s 13th in the first two months of the campaign – and Chadwick says the club will explore the possibility of rearranging a fixture for next Saturday, which is currently blank.

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