Overnight Stays Before Games

Over the past couple of seasons, Hereford United appear to have made more overnight stays before matches.

Whatever the merits of these 'early nights' it hasn't brought much success for the Bulls away from home.

This season, for example, the Bulls have only won one game on an opponent's pitch. That was at Northampton.

This game was played on a Tuesday evening, so no overnight stay was involved.

Contrast the away form of the Bulls with that of Conference side Altrincham.

Their excellent website has revealed that the Cheshire club has 'emerged with their best away record in years- seven league wins on the road so far' and hasn't made one overnight stay.

However one side that feels overnight stays are beneficial is Hayes and Yeading. They are even considering selling a player to help pay for hotel bills.

Manager Garry Haylock believes more overnight stays for Hayes might have put them in the top ten of the Conference by now. Last Saturday his side went into a 2-0 lead at Altrincham only to be defeated 3-2. And that came after an 8am start from West London. He's now hoping that a planned overnight stay before their game against Chester will bring them three points and therefore back his view.

"If you prepare well, you get the right kind of results. We’re a small squad, so losing a player to pay for hotels would be a question of swings and roundabouts. But no one else would touch some of our players before they came here – and yet we’ve created the right environment and they’ve excelled. The more professional you are, the better it is, and if we could have stayed over we’d have done so – no shadow of a doubt," Haylock told the Uxbridge Gazette.

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