Summer Football (merged)

[Golden Bear]

What a glorious advert today is for the attractions of summer football - oops wait a minute.

[Hibbyradge]

I was thinking it's time for a summer football poll and discussion thread.

Thanks for the reminder.

[Hibbyradge]

And why?

[Golden Bear]

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I was thinking it's time for a summer football poll and discussion thread.

Thanks for the reminder.

Cue Chic Young - his favourite subject.

[Hibbyradge]

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Cue Chic Young

Sounds like my favourite dish at the Ming Palace.

[Hibbyradge]

I like the idea of summer football in the evenings.

There's never a better atmosphere than a midweek game under floodlights when it looks like the stadium is enclosed cos the lights stop you seeing the sky and surrounding areas.

Also, watching football in shirt sleeves is the biz.

[Antifa Hibs]

Nope.

Out of the top 25 European Leagues, I believe there are only 3 summer based leagues, and one of those is thinking off going back to a 'winter' based league.

Start the season earlier (last week in July, first week in August) and have a winter break. During the winter break, have a 'tennants sixes' type tournie, thats how the Germans manage

Summer is for pre-season piss ups, music fests and holidays. Think off the attendences during the Edinburgh trades for Hibs/Hearts and Glasgow trades for the Old Firm, attendences for the weekend of TITP etc.

[H18sry]

Will the players/supporters not complain of heatstroke with our sweltering summer weather ?

[H18sry]

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Nope.

Out of the top 25 European Leagues, I believe there are only 3 summer based leagues, and one of those is thinking off going back to a 'winter' based league.

Start the season earlier (last week in July, first week in August) and have a winter break. During the winter break, have a 'tennants sixes' type tournie, thats how the Germans manage

Summer is for pre-season piss ups, music fests and holidays. Think off the attendences during the Edinburgh trades for Hibs/Hearts and Glasgow trades for the Old Firm, attendences for the weekend of TITP etc.

When do you propose the winter break should be? November untill March

[Hibbyradge]

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Summer is for pre-season piss ups, music fests and holidays. Think off the attendences during the Edinburgh trades for Hibs/Hearts and Glasgow trades for the Old Firm, attendences for the weekend of TITP etc.

The Edinburgh Trades and Glasgow Fair holidays are nowhere near as significant as they used to be.

In any case, we'd only have 1 home game in that fortnight and any dip in that attendance would cost a lot less than having several games cancelled in the winter. The increase in attendances generally because of warmer weather would also more than make up for any loss for one week in July.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Why ?

The clubs save money on floodlights.

They dont have to spend thousands turning on undersoil heating.

The expensive training centre can actually be used.

Players get injured less in warm ( ish ) weather.

For a good chunk of the season we wont be in competition with televised EPL and UEFA matches.

Tourists or bored English fans might go to matches in Edinburgh.

Older fans and kids might be more willing to turn out.

Better road conditions for travelling fans.

You can wear your expensive replica shirt without 3 layers on top.

The pitches will be better.

We might be able to sqeeze a better deal out of Sky without competition from the EPL and English championship.

We could get Pimms and Robinsons Barley Water to sponsor the SPL.

THE COUNTER ARGUMENT:

1 ) ............... Its aye been.

2 ) ............... Ah dae ma garden in the summer.

3 ) ............... It will affect our European chances. Unlike the raging success we are now.

[Antifa Hibs]

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When do you propose the winter break should be? November untill March

I'm nae weatherman but i've heard this was the worst winter in 40 years, I can't see us getting this every November/December.

They manage in Ukraine, Russia and Poland nae bother at all



Bar this year and the St Johnstone game last year, when was the last time Hibs had a game posponed because of the weather? Dundee away about 7 years ago? Before that..?

[Hibbyradge]

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Why ?

The clubs save money on floodlights.

They dont have to spend thousands turning on undersoil heating.

The expensive training centre can actually be used.

Players get injured less in warm ( ish ) weather.

For a good chunk of the season we wont be in competition with televised EPL and UEFA matches.

Tourists or bored English fans might go to matches in Edinburgh.

Older fans and kids might be more willing to turn out.

Better road conditions for travelling fans.

You can wear your expensive replica shirt without 3 layers on top.

The pitches will be better.

We might be able to sqeeze a better deal out of Sky without competition from the EPL and English championship.

We could get Pimms and Robinsons Barley Water to sponsor the SPL.

THE COUNTER ARGUMENT:

1 ) ............... Its aye been.

2 ) ............... Ah dae ma garden in the summer.

Excellent points.

Also, our clubs will be better prepared for European competition.

[Part/Time Supporter]

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Why ?

The clubs save money on floodlights.

They dont have to spend thousands turning on undersoil heating.

The expensive training centre can actually be used.

Players get injured less in warm ( ish ) weather.

For a good chunk of the season we wont be in competition with televised EPL and UEFA matches.

Tourists or bored English fans might go to matches in Edinburgh.

Older fans and kids might be more willing to turn out.

Better road conditions for travelling fans.

You can wear your expensive replica shirt without 3 layers on top.

The pitches will be better.

We might be able to sqeeze a better deal out of Sky without competition from the EPL and English championship.

We could get Pimms and Robinsons Barley Water to sponsor the SPL.

THE COUNTER ARGUMENT:

1 ) ............... Its aye been.

2 ) ............... Ah dae ma garden in the summer.

I think this is a point that is ignored in the whole debate. Sky's schedule is normally very weak during the summer as many of the big "summer" events are on BBC (eg Open golf, Wimbledon, British F1 GP). Hence why they pay so much money for Test cricket, even though most people don't give a **** about that except the one year in four England host Australia.

[Sir David Gray]

I would be against it purely because, in Scotland, our weather is far too changeable and we don't have a set period where you can basically write off any outside sport taking place.

Sometimes we can have an awful February, other times it's December and January and this year, it's the end of November.

If we were to have a break, it would need to be from November-February and play our season from March-October, just to ensure that we completely avoid any possibility of encountering any serious weather problems. If we did that, we would need to accept that in June/July, when we would be half way through our season, attendances would most likely be well down as a large number people go abroad for their summer holidays.

We would also no longer have the Scottish Cup final being played in the May sunshine and instead it would be played in October. Would people go for that? I don't know.

On the flipside, it would hopefully help us whenever we come up against the Scandinavian sides in the early rounds of European competition because, at the moment we are in our pre-season and they are half way through their season when we play them in the qualifying stages.

[LaMotta]

If it does happen, how would it be implemented?

For instance the season ends in May just now - so for the first season of summer football would you then wait until the following March for the next season to begin?

[Part/Time Supporter]

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If it does happen, how would it be implemented?

For instance the season ends in May just now - so for the first season of summer football would you then wait until the following March for the next season to begin?

In Ireland, they shortened the last winter season to allow room for the first summer season. They played 27 games (10 teams playing each other three times) instead of 36 (four times).

[Iggy Pope]

Slightly off topic but I have it on good authority that Accies asked on Thursday to move the game to ER only for the polis to immediately rule it out.
Maybe been posted elsewhere but I found it interesting!

[Lucius Apuleius]

Definitely summer for me. No likey de
cold.

[PaulSmith]

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Slightly off topic but I have it on good authority that Accies asked on Thursday to move the game to ER only for the polis to immediately rule it out.
Maybe been posted elsewhere but I found it interesting!

Why would the polis be involved in that? In saying that their absolute hatred for Scottish football becomes more apparent every passing week, not allowed international friday night football, not allowed league games on Friday night, not allowed sat evening kick offs, not allowed to play games if theres snow outside, not allowed OF games to kick off after 12.30, protested against new year derby games for years..

[Removed]

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Why would the polis be involved in that? In saying that their absolute hatred for Scottish football becomes more apparent every passing week, not allowed international friday night football, not allowed league games on Friday night, not allowed sat evening kick offs, not allowed to play games if theres snow outside, not allowed OF games to kick off after 12.30, protested against new year derby games for years..

It's because some football supporters can't behave. Would you do it differently if you were in charge? I wouldn't.

[Alfred E Newman]

Against.
Most campaigners for summer football advocate no football during December January and February with some even including November and March as well. How on earth when it takes almost 10 months to fulfill the fixtures now could you cram a league season into 7 or 8 months? Just imagine, no games between now and the beginning of March. What on earth would you all do with your time?
Summer football would also enevitably result in a massive fall in season ticket sales, something that all clubs rely on. Under most clubs present pricing policy if you miss one game you are out of pocket. I for one can think of lots of other things to do with my time during the summer months other than watch football whereas during the winter months there is little else to do.
We never hear any call from the English clubs for Summer football and abandoning the traditional season would in effect make Scottish football even more second rate than it is now.

[Part/Time Supporter]

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Against.
Most campaigners for summer football advocate no football during December January and February with some even including November and March as well. How on earth when it takes almost 10 months to fulfill the fixtures now could you cram a league season into 7 or 8 months? Just imagine, no games between now and the beginning of March. What on earth would you all do with your time?
Summer football would also enevitably result in a massive fall in season ticket sales, something that all clubs rely on. Under most clubs present pricing policy if you miss one game you are out of pocket. I for one can think of lots of other things to do with my time during the summer months other than watch football whereas during the winter months there is little else to do.
We never hear any call from the English clubs for Summer football and abandoning the traditional season would in effect make Scottish football even more second rate than it is now.

For the fairly obvious reason that the winter in most of England is not nearly as cold. Premier League clubs are forced to install undersoil heating but it is optional in the Football League. Blackpool's game against Man United last week was off because they don't have it. Any games you see off in England are generally due to that.

[marinello59]

I have read a couple of interviews recently from players who have moved from the Scottish game to leagues playing summer football and they were overwhelmingly positive. It's a no brainer from me, the only way forward is Summer fitba. It's worked in Ireland, it would work here.

[Iggy Pope]

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Why would the polis be involved in that? In saying that their absolute hatred for Scottish football becomes more apparent every passing week, not allowed international friday night football, not allowed league games on Friday night, not allowed sat evening kick offs, not allowed to play games if theres snow outside, not allowed OF games to kick off after 12.30, protested against new year derby games for years..

And not allowed to switch venues at 48 hrs notice.
Apparently.

Facsist *****

[Alfred E Newman]

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I have read a couple of interviews recently from players who have moved from the Scottish game to leagues playing summer football and they were overwhelmingly positive. It's a no brainer from me, the only way forward is Summer fitba. It's worked in Ireland, it would work here.

I think you will find that, unlike here, football is not and never has been the number one spectator sport in Ireland and is behind rugby , and gaelic football in popularity.

[Since90+2]

Naw. Can you imagine how bleak and boring a scottish winter would be without football?

[marinello59]

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I think you will find that, unlike here, football is not and never has been the number one spectator sport in Ireland and is behind rugby , and gaelic football in popularity.

I don't really think that is relevant. We are up against the attractions of Premiership football in a warm pub just now. If we are that fanatical about football a shift in the time of year we play it isn't going to deter that many from going is it? Give us a better product, and on better pitches it would improve, then crowds should increase.

[Hibbyradge]

I think the holidays argument is spurious. I'm certain that at least as many folk go on holiday in August and September when the season has started as go in the close season.

[blackpoolhibs]

I cant see any negatives in moving to summer football. We can have a few more midweek games to make up the short fall in time. As has been said, it will be warmer, better pitches, i think bigger crowds, and for a bit of the season we would not be competing with the EPL.

The game needs the fans, and i know watching Hibs in a T shirt or a jumper is much more appealing than wearing a coat and hat, or freezing my tits off going during and after a game.

I genuinely think we would see bigger crowds, better football. So for those 2 reasons alone its a yes for me.