wee john Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Because of the World Cup & Euroes it will never happen. Wish it would though. I am sure we could fit in more midweek games to cut out more than just a couple of winter months. We used to have lots more midweek matches in the early part of the season, not so many nowadays Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_Beatson Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 We used to have lots more midweek matches in the early part of the season, not so many nowadays Because if European dates that you can't play on. The countries that do work round it are the smaller ones who have no chance of ever making international tournaments or qualifying teams to the group stages in Europe-or even the later qualifying rounds. Slightly unfair to ask "is that the best you can do?" When you've not really addressed any of my points! Having loads of cancellations in November isn't an issue when you've got six months to make up the games. It is an issue when it's the final few weeks of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxLeahSaintxX Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 It was uncomfy wearing a scarf on Thursday. It made a nice sun blocker though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_Beatson Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 For what it's worth I think we should start the season earlier and play more midweek games in July/August/September and then April/May where possible and cut some dates in the December/January period. wee john, ejksjfc and Cagey 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy rhodes fancy watch Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/neil-doncasters-blog--summer-football-2009-12-30/ Cockwombles thoughts . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee john Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 For what it's worth I think we should start the season earlier and play more midweek games in July/August/September and then April/May where possible and cut some dates in the December/January period. I thought I did address a few of your points? One I didn't was the income from "lucrative" Xmas new year matches. I do not agree with this at all, the weeks leading up to Xmas are well known for the some of the lowest attendances of the season, the new year matches are generally derby matches, play them anytime of the season and the crowd will be there. In years gone bye these matches were considered lucrative but now more people go on holiday over Xmas and new year and these matches are not nearly aswell attended as they used to be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rik2304 Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 It made a nice sun blocker though! Nah,would've made my face sweaty. All football should be played in winter. Then you get the benefit of a hot pie/hot chocolate combo. XxLeahSaintxX 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY5565 Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Doncaster,African players have home duty during the summer, S.P.L. sponsored by Clydesdale bank and he talks about tradition; in this modern free trading world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abernethy Saint Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 We'd buy season tickets in a heart beat if they brought in summer football, as would many others. Imagine the number of parents who would pay up for kids (cheap as chips at Saints) to get shot of the little bastards on a Saturday afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintscotty Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 ^^^^Doting father ;-) 541ntees 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilSJFC Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 It's just not going to happen. The fixture list issue is the most obvious problem. You have a massive chunk of the season disappearing with euros/world cup (incidentally when Summer football advocates suggest fans would be flooding back) which means the fixtures would have to be squeezed in in February/November midweeks when the weather is likely to be rubbish anyways. Then you have the issue with European fixtures potentially taking up those dates. You also have issues with teams that reach later stages in Europe having to play right through a whole 12 months (or more). You would have to ask signings from outside Scotland to play 18 months. The "better" pitches we would have would be reseeded in December/January ideal growing time. Preseason fixtures would have to be found in January/February. And for what? Is there any proof attendances would go up? Irish crowds didn't, and no relatively big league has moved towards it (with the Russians changing to winter football). Personally, I prefer football in the winter. I have little else realistically to do on a November Saturday whereas there's tons to do in the summer. Zamora Fan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint 62 Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 All for summer football. Yes there would obstacles to overcome but the benefits would make it worth it. Â Scottish football must have lost thousands of fans over the years who are sick of taking the time and money to attend games only to get them cancelled an hour before kick off. Â It has always baffled me how every club complains about the lack of money but how much money has been lost to the game through the installation and running of under-soil heating and paying for floodlighting over the years, hundreds of thousands or millions of quid? Â You get better pitches in the summer (I think I read somewhere the it has to be at least 6 degrees for grass to grow). We've all seen games be played in howling gales and conditions where Barcelona would struggle to play good football. Â Attendances would improve simply because it's a more enjoyable experience going along to a game in shorts and t shirt than long johns and a duffel coat. I enjoy going to away games and given the opportunity would be booking cheap rail travel weeks ahead, but you can't do it because there is a fair chance the game will be cancelled and you lose your money, either that or travel disruption. Â Other countries do summer football and still can accommodate the finals of World Cups and Euros. In fact I would say that Scotland is the most northerly country in Europe playing winter football. I know winter football is tradition but imagine if football was just introduced as a new game to Scotland today it would be played in the summer. Â The only people who can make it happen are the football authorities and the clubs but I don't think they have the appetite for change. Why should they? Even if most fans would prefer summer football we still turn up for the winter games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_Beatson Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 I think it's basically just the Scandanavian/Baltic countries and Ireland that play summer football now. Ireland aside, their climates are such that winter football is basically pointless. Ireland's reason is that football isn't the number 1 sport in the country. Re: grass growing. As I said above, your real issue there is that even though the grass grows better in the summer you're still going to be playing in wetter, darker months in the spring/autumn/early winter. You'd also be playing on these surfaces during prime growing time. I'd imagine by late November when your season ends your pitch is going to be pretty bare and bumpy in patches-and you're only going to get December/January to have it ready (pre season in there too of course so you'll need to play in it at some point). Would that work? I'm actually in favour of more artificial surfaces to be fair. Money spinning as you can rent them out constantly, and you're far less likely to suffer postponements and you're guaranteed a good surface every week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Neutral Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 At the very least, all amateur, junior, kids football should be summer. It can only improve our game. To still insist on playing football in winter, on mud, in snow, in freezing conditions is just plain daft. And for us to prefer to watch it in that weather, we are daft too. Â I coach a youth team and can tell you summer football would not be easy. If we had been playing summer football this summer we would not have played a game all summer due to players being away on family days, holidays etc. You would need a complete culture shift in Scotland for it to change at any level, & unfortunately I don't see it happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 (edited) No. Â We'd lose as many supporters as we gain due to families going on day trips all of them will enjoy instead of the football which only one would. Â We'd be at risk of massive half-season losses due to International competitions ripping right into the centre of the season causing a break and a lack of TV coverage. Â Teams who play Summer football have poorer European records than teams with "Winter" football. Â We'd be at odds with the English transfer market, which is where the vast majority of our non Scottish business is done. Â The start of the season would be around Spring, which sees most of our rainfall in a year, so we'd have mud bath pitches for the majority of the season. Â Summer football being any benefit is a myth, pure and simple, theres a reason so few countries do it despite it being some sort of miracle cure for shite nations for the past decade Edited July 27, 2014 by RandomGuy Zamora Fan and Jamie_Beatson 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintSam1884 Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 That sun made me unwell on Thursday night. Having said that I was woefully ill prepared for how hot it was! No water and no sunscreen. Those of you who know me will know I'm no sun worshipper. I always wear factor 50 when I'm out in the sun for any length of time but did it occur to me on Thursday? Nope! That being said, it is far more enjoyable to sit out in that than the cold that actually makes your body sore!!! So I'm all for summer football. It was thoroughly pleasant after the sun dipped down behind the main stand and I didn't need to put my jacket on even after 10pm! Can't beat that! croc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee john Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 Yes culture has a lot to do with it, but our culture has been changing for years. we are living in the past, we have to move forward. So maybe the answer is not total summer football (although I still think we could do it), but we have to at least play till the end of May beginning of June, Start the season asap, play more midweek matches. we have to at least have a 5-6 week winter break, and before anyone mentions the weather, the break is also for xmas and new year when people are short of money, when crowds are at their lowest. I suspect lots of associations would love to play summer football but are too scared to try it, maybe if more did have the baws to change then the world's football culture would change. As for anyone to come out with "there is no proof crowds would be better", it is common sense, of course they would be better. football in this country would certainly improve, playing in better conditions in every sense.  As for the grass argument, that cuts no ice in this day and age, technology means pitches are better than ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupy76 Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014  worth a watch older vid but good  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callander saint Posted August 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 enjoyable viewing, more pros than cons as far as i am concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soupy76 Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 enjoyable viewing, more pros than cons as far as i am concerned. Aye it's worth a wee watch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lossiesaint Posted August 2, 2014 Report Share Posted August 2, 2014 Maybe we should start our season in March and hopefully by August or September we will be so far ahead of Celtic that they wont catch up??? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintdunc Posted August 3, 2014 Report Share Posted August 3, 2014 As well as enjoying the great result on Thursday i must say it was a pleasure to see so many families at the game. The attraction of a Euro game was   obviously the main reason we had a good crowd but i also feel the good weather helped put a good number on the gate ( especially families ) .  I sat with my wife and kids all dressed in T-Shirts and shorts and  must say that this was a far more comfortable and pleasant experience than sitting with several layers on at MacDiarmid Park on a freezing Feb afternoon with my kids constantly complaining about being cold .The traditionalists will probably allways favour the current Aug to May season but this traditionalist could be converted . Anyone else interested ? . All year round football for me. Where else can you "work" for around 6 hours a week and run around practicing your job for a couple of hours a day and get paid handsomely, irrespective of whether you provided quailty or not? Couple of weeks holiday should suffice as the job description sounds like one anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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