Summer football on the way?

***Moulin Yarns*** · 11-06-2015 07:40 AM

Do you think if we change to summer football we would have a chance of winning the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 by being more acclimatised to the temperatures?

***Danderhall Hibs*** · 11-06-2015 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by dangermouse

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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!

I've thought that for a long time. A few more Wednesday night games in the summer/autumn then the same again in spring.

**liamh2202** · 11-06-2015 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by bingo70

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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.

I really don't know what I would prefer. Just wondering though. How many of the games calles off this year were in Dec for Jan. The one that sticks in my mind was huns v hearts in the snow but was that not Feb or even march ?

**liamh2202** · 11-06-2015 08:16 AM

Originally Posted by itslegaltender

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

I agree it was a nightmare but that could still happen as a game in Nov or Feb

**Andy74** · 11-06-2015 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by Danderhall Hibs

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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.

You'd only get people saying it's too nice and that they would need to go to the beach with their families. I use the summer to go away at weekends. That would be a couple of season tickets lost or I swap having fun with the family in summer to sitting depressed in the house with them in the winter!

***scoopyboy*** · 11-06-2015 08:25 AM

Silly question, how do you switch from the seasons we have now to summer football?

A season finishes towards the end of May, so when would your first season of summer football start?

***Golden Bear*** · 11-06-2015 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by scoopyboy

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Silly question, how do you switch from the seasons we have now to summer football?

A season finishes towards the end of May, so when would your first season of summer football start?

That's a key question, which to date, nobody has come up with a credible answer.

**Bobby's Cinema** · 11-06-2015 09:10 AM

Originally Posted by Golden Bear

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That's a key question, which to date, nobody has come up with a credible answer.

How about a total overhaul and a look at combining the switch to summer football with league reconstruction to a 16 team league. This would reduce the fixture list with only playing 30 games in a season and leave room for the change?

We are miles away from this. I am willing to be convinced but winter without the football is a no from me.

**Sir David Gray** · 11-06-2015 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by scoopyboy

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Silly question, how do you switch from the seasons we have now to summer football?

A season finishes towards the end of May, so when would your first season of summer football start?

I would imagine we would just have a break until February the following year, assuming that the summer season would run from February to November.

***CropleyWasGod*** · 11-06-2015 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Swedish hibee

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And most of the Scottish team don't play their football in Scotland either, so they play to a different standard also...

I don't get the point your trying to make

Not sure I do either

Think it went something like this....

The Swedish national team does ok, competition-wise, because most of its players play abroad in leagues that are winter-based. So the fact that its domestic league is summer-based has little effect on the national team.

I think.....

***Moulin Yarns*** · 11-06-2015 09:37 AM

Originally Posted by liamh2202

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I really don't know what I would prefer. Just wondering though. How many of the games calles off this year were in Dec for Jan. The one that sticks in my mind was huns v hearts in the snow but was that not Feb or even march ?

January 16th. I was in Glasgow that night and it was horrendous. The snow was pretty bad too

***lord bunberry*** · 11-06-2015 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by Andy74

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You'd only get people saying it's too nice and that they would need to go to the beach with their families. I use the summer to go away at weekends. That would be a couple of season tickets lost or I swap having fun with the family in summer to sitting depressed in the house with them in the winter!

Go on holiday in the winter then. I've never understood why so many people go abroad when the weather here is at its best. I was in lanzarote a couple of years ago in January and it was roasting hot.

**liamh2202** · 11-06-2015 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Golden Fleece

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January 16th. I was in Glasgow that night and it was horrendous. The snow was pretty bad too

Excuse my memory getting on a bit lol

***scoopyboy*** · 11-06-2015 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by Trig

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I would imagine we would just have a break until February the following year, assuming that the summer season would run from February to November.

Can't see clubs paying wages from end of May til the following February for no return.

Not knocking your theory as I can't think of anything better.

***scoopyboy*** · 11-06-2015 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by lord bunberry

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Go on holiday in the winter then. I've never understood why so many people go abroad when the weather here is at its best. I was in lanzarote a couple of years ago in January and it was roasting hot.

Some people have kids that are school which makes it more difficult.

Other than that you have a fair point.

**Andy74** · 11-06-2015 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by lord bunberry

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Go on holiday in the winter then. I've never understood why so many people go abroad when the weather here is at its best. I was in lanzarote a couple of years ago in January and it was roasting hot.

I'm talking about here not necessarily going abroad.

People use weekends to do things in Scotland in the summer, as you say, when the weather allows us to do that. Options for stuff to do in Scotland in the winter are minimal and getting wrapped up and going to the football is fine by me.

Winter holidays abroad are a bit less easy to do with families as you have less weeks where schools are out. You also have less, not non existent but less cheap options for the masses in winter sun as they tend to be decent distances South and East.

**Haymaker** · 11-06-2015 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by bingo70

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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.

I don't know how many were called at lower levels. However the league would run from Feb to Nov - IF we have a terrible February or March we could still see lots of games called off? Or a awful November would see the end of the season disrupted. Football is played outside and is effected by the weather, if it sucks in June we could have called off games.

Changing to a summer league gives us a very small window, every other year, without EPL football. People use this argument to suggest we would get millions of people suddenly watching the games and therefore improve Scottish football. The majority of people down here wont watch it regardless. That is always my return.

We would still need floodlights for early season games and late season games and I reckon we would use them roughly the same amount. Undersoil heating as well if February and March are especially cold.

I don't see the benefits of changing to summer football as they would still be the same problems.

**Haymaker** · 11-06-2015 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Lago

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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.

But a lot of people use the argument that switching to summer football would see more people down south watching it. They wont.

**Haymaker** · 11-06-2015 02:32 PM

Originally Posted by bingo70

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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.

It would be cut up at the start and the end of every season, where it wouldn't be growing and would cost to repair in time for the new season. So the costs would STILL be there to work on the pitch, it wouldn't suddenly become a carpet all year round!

**Haymaker** · 11-06-2015 02:38 PM

Originally Posted by weecounty hibby

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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

I have given many suggestions on these threads whenever they appear. Here are some:

For development of youth: Indoor facilities that can be used all year round and always perfect. I used these in the US (most are council owned and operated). Smaller sided games. More sports (not just football) in schools. A league that will actually attempt to develop players rather than getting in the cloggers.

The problems in our game result from the GFA, the bigot brothers and the old boy network at hampden. Every thing that is decided in our game is to benefit one if not both of the bigots. Changing to summer football will not change this. It would just mean a few games in the sun.

People will return to watch Scottish football when teams are entertaining and competing. For that too happen a lot more would have to change than just moving to summer football.

***lord bunberry*** · 11-06-2015 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by Andy74

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I'm talking about here not necessarily going abroad.

People use weekends to do things in Scotland in the summer, as you say, when the weather allows us to do that. Options for stuff to do in Scotland in the winter are minimal and getting wrapped up and going to the football is fine by me.

Winter holidays abroad are a bit less easy to do with families as you have less weeks where schools are out. You also have less, not non existent but less cheap options for the masses in winter sun as they tend to be decent distances South and East.

You paint a very bleak picture of winter life in Scotland. There's loads to do, cinema, bowling, swimming, museums, deep sea world, dynamic earth the list is endless when it comes to things to do in the winter.

***Golden Bear*** · 11-06-2015 05:20 PM

Never mind summer fitba, I just received an e mail from a Hotel advertising their Christmas party nights!

**Kavinho** · 11-06-2015 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by Golden Bear

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Never mind summer fitba, I just received an e mail from a Hotel advertising their Christmas party nights!

Better book up quick..

***Eyrie*** · 11-06-2015 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by scoopyboy

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Silly question, how do you switch from the seasons we have now to summer football?

A season finishes towards the end of May, so when would your first season of summer football start?

The simple solution would be to play an abbreviated season, when teams only play each other twice rather than four times. There would only be one cup competition as well - probably the League Cup due to the extra rounds required for the Scottish Cup.

Then the new season stars in February. Play the League Cup during the spring for a summer final, and the Scottish Cup in the summer and autumn.

**Swedish hibee** · 11-06-2015 08:58 PM

Summer football HAS to be the way for Scotland... The Malmo game still haunts me. And gives many Swede's a laugh.

**Haymaker** · 11-06-2015 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by Swedish hibee

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Summer football HAS to be the way for Scotland... The Malmo games still haunts me. And gives many Swede's a laugh.

Why? Because on the odd occasion we appear in europe we will be better prepared?

So that would solve the bigot twins hold football? It would help solve the chronic lack of proper all year round facilities? That would solve the lack of a proper reserve league to help introduce young to full mens level football?

***Alfred E Newman*** · 11-06-2015 09:07 PM

The coldest I was all season was at Falkirk in May.

**Sir David Gray** · 11-06-2015 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by malcolm-bogie

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The coldest I was all season was at Falkirk in May.

Not so bad when I was in the stadium during the game but whilst queuing up outside to get in, the wind could have cut you in half and I was struggling to feel my fingers.

***bingo70*** · 11-06-2015 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by Haymaker

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Why? Because on the odd occasion we appear in europe we will be better prepared?

So that would solve the bigot twins hold football? It would help solve the chronic lack of proper all year round facilities? That would solve the lack of a proper reserve league to help introduce young to full mens level football?

There's plenty examples on this thread of why it could benefit our game. Like anything there's counter arguments against it as well.

Imo you've decided you don't want it abd simply aren't willing to look at any potential positives.

I think Scottish football is in such decline it's worth considering, nobody is saying it's going to cure all the faults with our game but I don't see the harm in trying it. It might not be the success some of us think it will be but I don't think it'll make our game any worse so why not give it a go. If it doesn't work e could just move it back.