Gregg fumes over fixtures headache

INSTITUTE manager John Gregg has criticised the Irish Football Association after it announced a new set of re-arranged Carling Premiership fixtures for the entire league.

With a host of matches postponed due to the adverse wintry weather conditions in recent months, the IFA issued new dates which will see the Waterside men play six games in the space of just 17 days - much to Gregg's annoyance.

"I think the league fixtures have been a joke to be honest and in my opinion the league should be extended," he said.

"At the end of the day we are a part-time league but we'll be playing Tuesday and Saturday for the next few weeks and although that isn't a problem, the big issue is that players will then be training Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and that is far too much for part-time players."

'Stute who took on Coleraine last night (Tuesday), have no game this weekend, but they do host title contenders Crusaders next Tuesday, March 9 (KO 7.45pm), before facing bottom club Lisburn Distillery, on Saturday, March 13: then on Tuesday, March 16 they travel to managerless Glentoran (KO 7.45pm).

Gregg's side entertain Glenavon, on Saturday March 20, before visiting Shamrock Park to take on in-form Portadown (K0 7.45pm), on Tuesday, March 23 and on Friday, March 26 league leaders Linfield come to Drumahoe (KO 7.45pm), to play the final game of the season before the league splits.

"I know the weather has been terrible this year and there is nothing anyone can do about that, but we should have had a match last Saturday against Coleraine but it was put back until Tuesday because of the Setanta Cup and in a few weeks' time another Saturday match away from home at Glentoran has been put back because of the Setanta Cup," Gregg added.

"In my opinion the Setanta Cup should never have been put back to Saturdays, it should have been a mid-week cup competition, because the crowds don't even back up the idea of moving those matches to a Saturday."

The Coleraine man is also fuming that his side along with Distillery and Portadown are the only three clubs in the Premiership not to feature on Sky Sports.

"It's really annoying that in a few weeks' times ourselves and Distillery will be the only sides not to have been on Sky Sports, because Portadown will be on Sky against Coleraine soon," he added.

"I know that we aren't the most glamorous club, but that is more money our club is missing out on, because whenever you are featured on Sky both the home team and the away team gets extra money.

"I also know that ourselves and another few other clubs have declined the IFA's offer of receiving three years' prize money in advance, because as far as we are concerned our club is run properly, so we don't want to receive future prize money now."

Meanwhile striker Paul Brown has left the club and joined Ladbrokes.com Championship 2 side Moyola Park, on loan for the remainder of the season.