Summer football on the way?

[Haymaker]

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Less games postponed, playing games when it's lighter so more kids may go, better pitches, not competing with English football for viewers or the prime tv slots, potentially better merchandise sales if people think they may get to wear the stuff to games more often.

I'm sure you'll be able to provide counter arguments to all my points but If you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got and Scottish football is in decline, we need to try something different imo.

I bet rugby league had similar discussions before moving to a summer sport and it's done them the world of good
I think there could be comparisons here.

How many games were called off this season for Hibs?

Better pitches. We would start and end when the grass doesnt grow,not the best.

Changing to summer football changes nothing.

We will not gain a significant amount of English viewers. I work in football in England and most of my friends are English. We are a mickey mouse league.

I am 100% on developing scottish football. However changing to summer is not the answer everyone seems to think it is.

[Haymaker]

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Don't we normally relay our pitch off season?


and yeah, it would need players and teams to allow the skill & quality level to improve. But atleast it would give better footballers a chance to play on a reasonable pitch, and not a mud patch.

We relay the pitch over the summer.


If we ended the season in november snd started in Feb (when grass doesnt grow) we eould need the UV lights that cost a fortune.


Still I guess everyone turning up when it maybe sunny pays for that right?

[cabbageandribs1875]

summer fitbaw....oh yes please wouldn't mind seeing a poll involving different age groups thoughts, remember yer skin gets thinner as we age and i bet i'm not the only one that's ever decided not to go to a game because it was baltic outside, i mind a night game at fir park just a few seasons back and i sat shivering from start to finish...not very comfortable at all...i'd rather sit in warm rain than snow and freezing cold wind

[Sir David Gray]

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Less games postponed, playing games when it's lighter so more kids may go, better pitches, not competing with English football for viewers or the prime tv slots, potentially better merchandise sales if people think they may get to wear the stuff to games more often.

I'm sure you'll be able to provide counter arguments to all my points but If you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got and Scottish football is in decline, we need to try something different imo.

I bet rugby league had similar discussions before moving to a summer sport and it's done them the world of good
I think there could be comparisons here.

The only months where we wouldn't be competing with English football for viewers would be June and July and as someone has already said, every other year we would be competing with the European Championships and the World Cup during those months.

[Haymaker]

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The only months where we wouldn't be competing with English football for viewers would be June and July and as someone has already said, every other year we would be competing with the European Championships and the World Cup during those months.

And fighting for English viewers against cricket and RL

[bingo70]

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How many games were called off this season for Hibs?

Better pitches. We would start and end when the grass doesnt grow,not the best.

Changing to summer football changes nothing.

We will not gain a significant amount of English viewers. I work in football in England and most of my friends are English. We are a mickey mouse league.

I am 100% on developing scottish football. However changing to summer is not the answer everyone seems to think it is.

It wouldn't just be hibs games that were moved, how many games in Scottish football were called off this year? Was a pretty mild winter but I'd still say it was a significant number.

Scottish football could improve its quality 10 fold but it would still be ridiculed as it'd still get compared to English football as long as we are vying for the same viewers at the same time as the premiership. We also don't get the air time to promote our game as we're competing for time with the premiership, which will always take precedent.

Lack of undersoil heating and floodlights ate two other significant costs the club would save on.

Appreciate you don't want summer football and I know I'll never win you round, I think it was you that said earlier that you'd not seen any arguments for the benefits. There clearly are plenty that it would bring, whether they're enough to outweigh the counter arguments you've provided remains to be seen but I personally think the club's have very little to lose by trying it and potentially a huge amount to gain if it was to work.

[bingo70]

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We relay the pitch over the summer.


If we ended the season in november snd started in Feb (when grass doesnt grow) we eould need the UV lights that cost a fortune.


Still I guess everyone turning up when it maybe sunny pays for that right?

If it wasn't getting cut up so badly every winter would it need relaid every year?

That's a genuine question by the way, not
Claiming it wouldn't.

[SquashedFrogg]

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And fighting for English viewers against cricket and RL

Balanced against the number of people who would rather sit at home and watch Man Utd v Liverpool? (alternative suggestions are available)

Crowds are dwindling, sponsorship/TV money is almost non-existent, Europe isn't factor anymore.. For me, I'd welcome any attempt to improve our game...

Lets face it.... Scottish football needs a change. Why not even try it?

Just my opinion

[Lago]

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How many games were called off this season for Hibs?

Better pitches. We would start and end when the grass doesnt grow,not the best.

Changing to summer football changes nothing.

We will not gain a significant amount of English viewers. I work in football in England and most of my friends are English. We are a mickey mouse league.

I am 100% on developing scottish football. However changing to summer is not the answer everyone seems to think it is.

Yes we are a mickey mouse league, but there is no way we should be worried about what they think down south our football is of absolutely no interest to them and to think of planning a league around English opinion is complete nonsense.

[itslegaltender]

That first away match to Cowdenbeath convinced me that summer football would be a great way forward for Scottish football.

[weecounty hibby]

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I am 100% on developing scottish football. However changing to summer is not the answer everyone seems to think it is.

Give us another suggestion then. I have watched Hibs play in some really ****ty, freezing cold weather and on some pitches that looked like tatty fields. Summer football is a great idea and I would prefer to be able to go to the majority of fixtures without four or five layers of clothes.
Also coaching youngsters. What would you rather do as a kid, go out onto the sleet/snow/rain to do drills on a muddy wet pitch while having to wear hat, gloves and under armour. Or be able to go out in the sunshine onto flat surfaces wearing shorts and tshirt and be able to feel your toes as it was above -5 degrees. We need change in this country and I think we need to move on from playing in winter just cos we always have

[mca]

If it Aint Broke.. Don't Fix it !!!

How Long has Scottish Fitba Been Played they way it is Now ???

Think its Maybe the Customer That's Broken.. maybe also Stony Broke too !!!!

[Eyrie]

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If it wasn't getting cut up so badly every winter would it need relaid every year?

That's a genuine question by the way, not
Claiming it wouldn't.

I'll add in that the undersoil heating doesn't help the grass either (not to mention the cost of it both financially and to the environment).

[SquashedFrogg]

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If it Aint Broke.. Don't Fix it !!!

How Long has Scottish Fitba Been Played they way it is Now ???

Think its Maybe the Customer That's Broken.. maybe also Stony Broke too !!!!

I'd say Scottish 'Fitba' is broke.... And needs fixing...

Maybe I'm missing something and I hope you can correct me but as I see it, our game is crap and has been for a while...

Crowd numbers, sponsorship revenue, European success, National team success etc proves this for me.

Maybe the customer needs a different option? The prices are never going to reduce so we need to at least try something else?

[jacomo]

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Less games postponed, playing games when it's lighter so more kids may go, better pitches, not competing with English football for viewers or the prime tv slots, potentially better merchandise sales if people think they may get to wear the stuff to games more often.

I'm sure you'll be able to provide counter arguments to all my points but If you always do what you've always done you'll always get what you've always got and Scottish football is in decline, we need to try something different imo.

I bet rugby league had similar discussions before moving to a summer sport and it's done them the world of good
I think there could be comparisons here.

We'd only be 'not competing' with English football for 2 months at best - and every 2 years an international tournament would fill a month of that.

[Andy74]

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But the weather in Sweden during the winter months is often much worse than it is in Scotland, in terms of the temperature and the amount of snow. Playing football in Sweden durin the winter months would be very difficult.

Yep. Winters much worse and summers much better. The Scandinavian countries also have very active winter sports participation. What do we have instead of football in the winter other than depression?!

[SquashedFrogg]

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We'd only be 'not competing' with English football for 2 months at best - and every 2 years an international tournament would fill a month of that.

Why are people worrying about what other countries think? As pointed out earlier by another poster - they don't give two hoots about our game.. (I've plenty first hand experience of this)

For me this is about encouraging 'Scottish fans' to go along and watch their teams...

[Sir David Gray]

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Why are people worrying about what other countries think? As pointed out earlier by another poster - they don't give two hoots about our game.. (I've plenty first hand experience of this)

For me this is about encouraging 'Scottish fans' to go along and watch their teams...

From what I can see, it appears to be those who are in favour of moving to summer football who are concerned with our popularity compared with English football as this is one of the reasons put forward in support for changing the season.

[lord bunberry]

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Possibly because most of them play abroad?

That probably applies to us as well if you count England as abroad

[bingo70]

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From what I can see, it appears to be those who are in favour of moving to summer football who are concerned with our popularity compared with English football as this is one of the reasons put forward in support for changing the season.

I'm probably guilty of giving that impression but the poster you've quoted is right. I don't think it's likely many kids from Manchester will pick up a Scottish team but if kids in Edinburgh could go to a hibs game without it meaning they'd miss Chelsea man utd then we'd stand a better chance of getting them along.

I realise that might only be for a month or two but maybe that's the short term boost that would be needed to kick start the league here.

[SquashedFrogg]

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From what I can see, it appears to be those who are in favour of moving to summer football who are concerned with our popularity compared with English football as this is one of the reasons put forward in support for changing the season.

For me I just don't understand why we should even bring English football into the discussion?

This is Scottish football and its future should be considered with Scottish football at its core.

English football does not support or contribute (if it did we'd be in a far better position) to our game so shouldn't be a factor.

Everything points to some sort of radical change (at least try something) to try and fill our stadiums, improve the atmosphere, make fans want to come back.

Revolution required perhaps

[Carheenlea]

It`s a no for me. Football from June - August would have take a back seat over days out with a young family, golf and holidays to name three clashes for myself. I miss a few games as it stands with my season ticket, but if we were to move to summer football I would not buy one.

Summer football in Scotland would be a one way road to Mickey Mouse status, just like the League of Ireland.

[SquashedFrogg]

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It`s a no for me. Football from June - August would have take a back seat over days out with a young family, golf and holidays to name three clashes for myself. I miss a few games as it stands with my season ticket, but if we were to move to summer football I would not buy one.

Summer football in Scotland would be a one way road to Mickey Mouse status, just like the League of Ireland.

Take your young family along to the Easter Road on a nice sunny day? They may enjoy it? Play golf when Hibs aren't playing? You miss a few games anyway so a holiday won't make a huge difference? Maybe tourists into the city would take your seat while you're away?

Ireland can't be used as a comparison.

[jacomo]

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I'm probably guilty of giving that impression but the poster you've quoted is right. I don't think it's likely many kids from Manchester will pick up a Scottish team but if kids in Edinburgh could go to a hibs game without it meaning they'd miss Chelsea man utd then we'd stand a better chance of getting them along.

I realise that might only be for a month or two but maybe that's the short term boost that would be needed to kick start the league here.

Aye maybe.

Personally I am sceptical about summer football - none of the 'big' leagues do it and I think it would lead to a further marginalisation of our game.

I am, however, following the debate with interest and willing to be persuaded of its merits. But the idea that moving to a March-November calendar would mean we don't compete with English football (by which we mean the EPL) anymore is just not true. There might be a couple of months, every other year, when there is a window, but for the rest of the time the fixtures would clash - but out of sync.

The EPL has become a monster. I think the right response is to capitalise on our proximity and ties to the English game as one of our strengths.

[overdrive]

Basically we'd be swapping football in Nov and Dec for Jun and Jul. the weather argument doesn't hold. The only two Hibs games I can recall being postponed or abandoned in semi recent years were in July! The winter break wasn't exactly a success either.

I'd personally not be able to make as many games so I'd give up my season ticket.

We wouldn't get a better TV deal as the English just aren't interested in our game. As to the point that Sky and BT resort to showing friendlies during the summer. These involve top teams. If they really wanted competitive football during the off season just now they could be buying rights to the League of Ireland. They don't as far as I'm aware.

[marinello59]

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Basically we'd be swapping football in Nov and Dec for Jun and Jul. the weather argument doesn't hold. The only two Hibs games I can recall being postponed or abandoned in semi recent years were in July! The winter break wasn't exactly a success either.

I'd personally not be able to make as many games so I'd give up my season ticket.

We wouldn't get a better TV deal as the English just aren't interested in our game. As to the point that Sky and BT resort to showing friendlies during the summer. These involve top teams. If they really wanted competitive football during the off season just now they could be buying rights to the League of Ireland. They don't as far as I'm aware.

Doesn't it? it's about much more than how many games get postponed or abandoned. It's about the general conditions our football is played and watched in.
Are you saying that our league is not more attractive to broadcasters than the league of Ireland?

[Danderhall Hibs]

Am I reading this right? Folk are saying generally that the weather in the winter isn't that different to the summer?

Have a look out the window.

[dangermouse]

Maybe what's needed is the season to start a bit earlier and have more midweek games between July and September. This would allow the possibility of a winter break (although that can be hit or miss in this country). A slightly earlier start may help clubs in the earlier stages of European competitions.

The league also need to sort out the play offs and cup games so we don't have the scenario of a team possibly playing in a cup final on the Saturday and play off final the next day!

[My_Wife_Camille]

No from me. I like it the way it is, simple as that!

[Alan62]

The coldest I felt at any match this season was the final game at Falkirk. It was in May. Freaking freezing with the wind howling through the stadium.