Fixtures Fiasco!

I find myself almost flabbergasted by the advent of a fixtures fiasco, masterminded by those refugees from ´romper room´, better known as the I.F.A. (for any young readers, romper room was a kiddies programme from the seventies, involving pre-school children). By a pure fluke United are involved in a mini fixture fiasco themselves this weekend, after having played (or should I say lost abjectly to), Crusaders, in the County Antrim Shield semi-final on Tuesday night, they now entertain the same team in a league match this Saturday. Three days later they host league champions Glentoran in a league match, that´s Tuesday the 27th October and then it´s a triple header against Institute, interspersed with a trip to Glenavon on November 7. I realise the draw was done correctly and above board (ha, ha, chance would be a fine thing), but could they have given us a less attractive draw, personally I don´t think so, even the Whites with former United manager Tommy Wright at the helm would have helped boost what most probably will be a pathetic turn-out. When the ´Stute come to the Showgrounds United lift nothing from their fans as they all (the whole eight of them), travel in the team coach, so they will bring no paying fans and United will have to rely solely on their own supporters for a decent home ´gate´.
Who in their right mind would make a pathetic fixture like this two-legged and even worse decree that the first leg be played on a Saturday. Saturdays are for league games, Irish cup games or Internationals, not penny-ante C.I.S. cups. Yes there´s prize money to be had but it´ll never compensate for the potential receipts United could expect from a Saturday meeting with the league champions. Please sit up and take note Kennedy & Co, you are destroying our game, competitions like the C.I.S. cup are a distraction, an escape from the pressure of the league race, but don´t ever think they can take it´s place. If you do, as sure as pussy´s a cat our wee game will go down the plug-hole. If this is the great sponsorship spin-off from the 12 team league, then quite bluntly it isn´t worth a plugged nickle and whoever thinks it is should go jump in the river Bann!