Fareham boss Stiles: Why FA Vase restart provides us with two big problems

And the Fareham Town boss insisted the governing body should step in and subsidise travel costs for away teams if supporters are unable to attend any tie.

Clubs still in the FA Vase have been notified the competition will still be played to a conclusion despite the curtailing of the 2020-21 season for steps 3-6 teams.

Fareham, on the joint best run in the competition in the club's history, have been informed their third round trip to Western League Premier Division leaders Plymouth Parkway will still take place.

But Stiles has warned the FA clubs will need sufficient time to get back up to scratch, having been without competitive action or training since mid-December because of lockdown restrictions.

Non-elite teams cannot return until March 29 under the Government's four-step roadmap out of lockdown.

And Stiles stressed players will require at least a 'couple of weeks ' worth of training before being asked to travel to west Devon.

He said: 'The FA are intending to complete the Vase and they’re looking to play it in early April, but we can’t get back to train until March 29.

‘They’ve got to give us a couple of weeks because you’ve got to bear in mind my players haven’t done a thing - I say haven’t done a thing, they haven’t kicked a ball.

‘You’ve got two problems, you’ve got to get players up to match speed in a short time and you got the logistics, you’ve got to get down there and the financial burden on the away club.

‘Whereas before you knew you were going to get something towards your coach but you could end up with nothing.'

Fareham's visit to Plymouth will work out at around a 330-mile round trip.

Under usual circumstances, the team at home in an FA Vase tie foots the bill for an away side's travel expenses from match gate receipts.

However, with games potentially being played behind closed doors, or in front of restricted numbers, Stiles says the FA should 'subsidise' some of the four-figure costs he claims his team will incur to make the trip.

‘The funding in the Vase isn’t brilliant anyway, it’s not like the FA Cup, so when you’ve got to pay £1,000 to travel on a coach to Plymouth someone has got to pay for it,' he stated.

‘We’ll look pretty negative if we say we can’t afford or aren’t doing it because it’s not worth a grand in what is a tough game anyway - you’re not guaranteed the win money.

'I think there should be some sort of subsidy if possible.'

Fareham have so far won £2,450 from winning through three Vase rounds, with a further £1,125 if they can pull off a stunning triumph at Western League leaders Parkway.

That £1,125 is the same amount clubs get from winning an FA Cup extra qualifying round tie.

If Fareham were to lose in the west country, they would bank £600.

Vase semi-final winners ‘only’ collect £5,500, but the final winners bank £30,000 and the runners-up £15,000 - huge sums at steps 5 and 6 level.