Baffins boss Wilkinson: ‘I can’t get my head around the fact fans aren’t being allowed in to friendlies’

Grassroots clubs were allowed to start pre-season friendlies at the beginning of this month, but all matches involving clubs at steps 1-6 of the non-league pyramid had to be behind closed doors.

The ban on spectators was extended to step 7 clubs - locally, the top flight of the Hampshire Premier League - last week.

That has left the ridiculous situation of spectators being allowed in to watch grassroots cricket matches, but not football ones.

Clubs have so far still had to pay match officials, even though they have had no gate receipts or bar/food revenue coming in.

Earlier this month, Greater Manchester club Droylsden pulled out of the Northern Premier League - the same level of non-league football as Gosport Borough - due to the financial impact of coronavirus.

Back in 2009, Droylsden were playing in the National League - the top flight of English non-league football.

‘Clubs are going to die if they haven’t got any revenue,’ said Wilkinson.

‘I can’t get my head around the fact we can’t have any fans in.

‘You can have a game involving 22 strangers who haven’t been tested, and the staff can stand next to each on on the touchline, but you can’t have fans in to stand 2m apart around the ground.

‘You’d find more people in a pub than you would standing in the open air at a non-league ground.

‘There’s no consistency in the rules.’

‘You could go to our clubhouse when we’re not playing and have a pint, but you can’t do that if we’re playing a game.

‘We’re told we can’t stage a private function at our clubhouse if there’s a game going on. Why can’t we if everyone is contained on the decking or in the building?

‘Why are they stopping clubs earning revenue in this way? It’s a joke.

‘If non-league clubs are going to survive they must let the fans in.

‘We’ve got the FA Cup on September 1 - you can’t have the FA Cup without fans in the ground.’

Baffins were scheduled to host National League South Dorking on August 1 in a glamour pre-season friendly.

The game could have seen Portsmouth-born pair Jason Prior and Alfie Rutherford leading the visitors’ attack.

The friendly was called off because fans weren’t allowed in. Dorking offered to play again this coming weekend, but Wilkinson turned down the opportunity.

‘It would be pointless playing them without anyone watching,’ he said.

Instead, Baffins are playing US Portsmouth on Moneyfields’ back pitch this Saturday. They then welcome Winchester City (Aug 22), Chichester City (Aug 25) and Worthing (Aug 29) to the PMC Stadium.

‘We’re still having to pay the match officials,’ said Wilkinson.

‘So far we’ve split the cost with the other team. The clubs have been keen to help each other, but the FA have got to stick their head above the parapet.

‘My view is this, if we’re playing the FA Cup on September 1 then we need fans in the ground by September 1.

‘We’ve all got bills to pay - football clubs still cost money to run.’

Wilkinson has already been given food for thought after watching Baffins’ first three friendlies.

A 3-0 win at Fleetlands was followed by a shock 5-2 drubbing by Hampshire Premier Leaguers Hayling on a 3G at Front Lawn.

Wilkinson rang the changes for Tuesday’s trip to Wessex League Division 1 outfit Petersfield, where Tyler Moret (2), Kurt Watts and Callum Dart netted in a 4-1 victory.

‘I’m not bothered about the results, I’m looking for performances and a chance to look at the players’ characters.

‘The first two friendlies were always going to be about getting minutes into legs.

‘The team against Hayling was basically last season’s team. Credit to Hayling, they were the better team on the day, but we need to do a lot better and we were better at Petersfield.

‘I made nine changes and you could see they worked by the performance and the result.’

Only Charlie Williamson and Dart started in midweek from the XI that took the field against Hayling.

In came summer signings Charlie Searle, Watts, Zak Sharp, James Cowan and Tommy Scutt.

‘I’m looking to trim the squad to around 20 by the start of the season,’ said Wilkinson. ‘From that, we’ll have 16 on a matchday and from that only 11 can start - the hardest part at our level is keeping everyone happy.

‘Hopefully they will all buy into what I’m trying to achieve - you can’t win anything with 11 players, you need a squad.’

Striker Max Davies, recruited from Selsey two months ago, has returned to the Sussex club while Corey Burns, Joe McLean and Aaron Grimshaw - three of last season’s Rovers squad - have been released.

‘I’m just hoping we get through pre-season without any injuries,’ said Wilkinson.

‘The pitches we have played on so far haven’t been ideal - the 3G at Front Lawn was like playing on a bed of lava, it was ridiculously hot.

‘I appreciate clubs might not have been able to work on their pitches all summer. We’ve been lucky - the chairman (Steve Cripps) has been going down three times a week to turn the taps on and water our pitch.’