Evo Stik Division One South
Stocksbridge Park Steels manager Chris Hilton
Stocksbridge Park Steels manager Chris Hilton believes the authorities need to reduce the amount of travelling done in Division One South.
The FA’s decision to move Worcestershire-based Evesham in the Evo Stik has sparked controversy, as well handing Stocksbridge and neighbours Shaw Lane more mileage next season.
Evesham have vowed to fight the switch and are appealing.
“There is a lot of travelling and we can’t say we are happy about it because two of the teams are 125 mile away,” Hilton told Non League Yorkshire.
“We have to get on with it, but we have to hope that they don’t drop on a midweek night. That would mean we would have to set off at half three and people have to work. It would be hard to raise a side.
“I know you can request for them games to be on a Saturday and that’s what we’ll be doing.
“I think the authorities have to look and say ‘let’s help the clubs out’. We are a semi-professional team. All the players, management and staff around the club do full-time jobs.
“We do expect to travel because of the league we are in, but 125 mile is a lot. If we got them on a midweek, we wouldn’t get home until 2 o’clock and then we would have to get up at 6am for work.
“It is a big ask so I think they need to look and make sure clubs aren’t travelling more than 80 or 90 miles.”
On the player front, Hilton is busy assembling his side and hopes to reveal more names very soon.
So far Harrison Biggins, Joe Lumsden and David Reay are tied up for the new season.