Howarth likes a change, but should Saturday football be sacred?
MANAGER Mark Yates and chairman Paul Baker are both keen advocates, but are Friday night fixtures a waste of time for Cheltenham Town?
Last week's match against Morecambe attracted a crowd of 2,563, of which 66 made the long trip down from the North West.
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There were more Robins supporters present than in the previous two home matches against Southend United and Oxford United, but the increase was marginal.
Yates would like more Friday football, not least because Cheltenham have an excellent record when kicking off a day early.
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Last season saw them win four and draw one of their six Friday matches.
Yates and his backroom staff are also able to take advantage of rare Saturdays off by embarking on scouting missions to watch forthcoming opposition teams in action.
It also gives his team an extra day to recover and prepare for midweek matches.
As well as the return match against Morecambe, Cheltenham have home and away matches against Rochdale to look forward to on Friday evenings.
Away travel can be more difficult on a work day, with most of the travelling fans having to take time off.
Cheltenham fan Paul Chandler would rather football stuck to its traditional kick-off time.
"It's a bit of a rush on Fridays when I'm tired at the end of a working week," he said.
"The odd one is fine, especially when the Ryder Cup is on TV over the weekend, but in general I am not a big fan."
Another Robins regular Lee Etheridge is more positive about playing under the floodlights.
"Evening games at Whaddon Road, and for that matter most football grounds, seem far better for night games than Saturday afternoons," he said.
"The atmosphere seems more intense and fans seem to express themselves more.
"I understand the frustrations of those who are season ticket holders and have problems attending Friday games.
"These games should be limited or disclosed well before the season starts."
Should more matches be brought forward or should Cheltenham stop tampering with their fixture list?
Do you enjoy having a weekend free of football, or is 3pm on a Saturday the only time for you to enjoy your football fix?
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