Neill Collins insists Raith Rovers have been unfairly disadvantaged by a ‘really disappointing’ SPFL decision ahead of Friday’s clash with Ayr United.
The visit of the Honest Men will be Raith’s third game in just six days after the encounter was moved for live TV.
It comes hot on the heels of the 2-1 defeat with 10 men at Livingston on Saturday and Tuesday night’s 1-0 victory over Airdrie.
However, Ayr were able to put their feet up on Tuesday night after being granted permission at the start of the season to move forward their planned fixture against Hamilton Accies.
With both teams knocked out of the Premier Sports Cup, they agreed with the SPFL to switch the October 29 meeting to Saturday, August 17.
As a result, the Somerset Park visitors will be playing just a second game in six days, rather than Rovers’ gruelling three.
Collins, who worked with Barnsley in England’s League One last season, says the scheduling difference ‘doesn’t make any sense’.
“When the game was originally moved to Friday, I was just interested to see who Ayr played on the Tuesday,” Collins told Courier Sport.
“When I realised they didn’t have a game, it kind of blew me away why they didn’t have a game and why that was allowed.
Collins: ‘It defeats the whole purpose’
“To be allowed to move that, especially when it’s moved because teams are out of cup competitions, I think it defeats the purpose of why you schedule those games.
“It’s not like postponements, which is different. It was early in the season, and Ayr ended up playing Hamilton twice in the first three games.
“I think that’s where the League are there to maintain the competitive fairness, and I think this week…
“That’s part of the challenge with a midweek fixture list, can you play Saturday, can you play Tuesday?
“It was originally a full schedule and then, for some reason, Ayr and Hamilton were allowed to move their game.
“And then it so happens that our game is moved to the Friday night – but Ayr don’t play on the Tuesday.
“That, for me, just doesn’t make any sense from a scheduling perspective. So that’s really disappointing.”
However, boosted by their victory over Airdrie, just a second in Collins’ eight eventful games in charge, the Raith boss is determined to ensure his players cope.
“I think Saturday-Tuesday players are able to do,” he added. “But potentially come Friday you have to consider where everyone’s at and who can do it.
“But when you’re not doing it for the next four weeks, which can happen in England, we should have players – and the squad – to handle it.”
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