Newcastle Jets coach Mark Milligan has slammed the game’s decision-makers after the weekend’s clash proceeded in extreme heat.
Even though the A-League club’s women’s showdown with the Central Coast Mariners was postponed, due to the 40-degree conditions and neighbouring bushfires, the Socceroos great’s troops still tackled Melbourne City at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday 6 December.
It meant all the players had to stop twice each half for a mandatory drinks’ break, with the encounter starting at 5pm, while taking the field in front of a small home crowd.
Sadly, the situation reinforced the message that television scheduling, and ratings, were more important than the footballers’ health and safety.
“It’s an absolute joke the way we (Australian Professional Leagues – APL) go about things,” he said.
“If you need to have two drinks’ breaks in 45 minutes, then why are we playing a game of football at that time?
“Just when we, and Melbourne, started to create momentum, we had to stop.
“That slows the match down and changes it completely.
“It made no sense to me.
“I can’t see, if it’s so hot that we need two drinks’ breaks, how splashing two minutes of water on your face is going to change the effects of the heat?
“However, we have absolutely no say in it.
“As a footballing country, we are so good at shooting ourselves in the foot.
“We talk about attendances and enticing people to come to games, or watch it on TV, but we go and put the players in a tough situation like that.
“Then we think it’s okay because we give them two drinks… it makes it all fine.
“It’s farcical.
“A big thanks must go to the fans who turned up [today]; they made as much noise as they could to support the boys.”
Milligan said the solution, moving forward, was simple.
“Play the match later,” he stated.
“I don’t understand why that is such an issue.
“Yes, television has something to do with it, I get that, but what about the players’ welfare?
“Look, when everything is said and done, I think it was a good game; it was entertaining to watch.
“But, can you imagine if it was played in conditions that suited the players?
“Because if we do that (move starting times), then automatically television is rewarded by that.
“If we are able to produce a better product, doesn’t that help everyone?”
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