FC Isle of Man can confirm that our upcoming away fixture against Barnoldswick Town has been rescheduled to kick off at 14:00. We understand that many fans have already arranged travel plans and regret any inconvenience this change has caused.
To provide further context, our initial travel plans posed significant logistical challenges. Had we travelled via the IOM Steam Packet Company to Liverpool, departing at 10:00 and arriving at 12:45, we would have faced a one hour and 45-minute to two-hour coach journey to the ground. This would have meant arriving at 14:30–14:45, leaving the players with only 30 minutes to change and warm up, rather than the usual hour.
Alternatively, traveling via Heysham presented further complications due to ongoing issues with the linkspan, which would have delayed our arrival even more, allowing only 15 minutes for the team to prepare before kick-off.
Barnoldswick Town’s participation in the FA Cup also impacted the scheduling, as the league was only able to confirm the kick-off time change earlier today. We then communicated this to fans via social media within 10 minutes of being informed. Had Barnoldswick Town progressed in the FA Cup, the match would have been postponed entirely.
To ensure the team has adequate numbers, preparation time and are able to travel home on the same day, we will now fly to Manchester at 06:55 and travel directly to the ground. Player availability is significantly impacted when there is an overnight stay involved in our travel plans, where our players already spend a significant time away from the families already, we try to minimise this.
We understand the frustrations this may cause for fans and appreciate your continued support. All future fixtures are still subject to change and we will notify you of any future fixture changes as soon as they are confirmed to the club by the league.
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