STANLEY boss John Coleman believes League One and Two should be given international weekends off - with extra early-season midweek dates added to accommodate the outstanding fixtures.

The Reds drew 1-1 at home to Burton last weekend but the Brewers were without Liam Boyce who was on international duty with Northern Ireland.

Rules currently state that three players must be absent before a game can be called off and all third tier matches took place last weekend.

But Coleman is advocating a change in approach and the addition of more early-season midweek fixtures.

“We are wasting blank weeks, at the start of the season when everyone is fresh, that is the time to play midweek games,” said the Stanley boss.

“I think we will have had seven blank midweeks by the time we get into October and I don’t see the point.

“We played Burton on Saturday and they had arguably their best player missing through international duty which wasn’t fair and we have suffered through this in the past.

“The Conference teams have played three more games than us, I know we have got the League Cup to contend with but we should be getting the midweek games out of the way.

“You get into the back end of the season with games getting postponed and you never know what the weather will be like and before you know where you are you are trying to jam three or four games into a week.

“I know there is also the Checkatrade Trophy but the fixture organisation for me is farcical.”

Coleman admitted he would be happy to have postponed the Burton clash to allow the Brewers to call on a full squad of players.

He added: “Why not play the whole fixture list midweek and if you are having an international break for two leagues then why not have it for all four? I don’t see how it can be fair. How you can be penalised because one of your players has been called up for international duty is beyond me.

“It worked in our favour on Saturday but it still doesn’t make it right.”