Summer football on the way?

[Gatecrasher]

My least favourite part of the season is the towards the middle of January to the end of February, It's usually Baltic and it gets dark early and I usually give the mid week games a miss during this period. If we could work round that it would be great!

Christmas is a fun time for football but there doesn't seem to be the increase in crowds there used to be. Perhaps March until new year might be worth considering.

I think it should definitely be up for discussion though, There's nothing better than a lovely warm day at the football.

[Golden Bear]

There's a fair chance that all the fixtures would have been cancelled due to inclement weather if Summer fitba had been in place last Saturday!

It's a no no from me. It's fine for the kids fixtures but there's too much competition from other sports/interests even to contemplate playing fitba during the so called summer months.

[NAE NOOKIE]

Lets give it a try. If there is any chance it would improve crowds then it has to be looked at.

[Ozyhibby]

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Possible, however we would have to qualify first of all so this is not an argument for Summer football.

Sorry, I did not make myself clear, I did not just mean Hibs. I meant that the performances in Europe of all Scottish teams would improve if we had a summer football.

[jacomo]

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Sorry, I did not make myself clear, I did not just mean Hibs. I meant that the performances in Europe of all Scottish teams would improve if we had a summer football.

Up until Christmas, maybe. But you're pretty much writing off any chance of progressing further through the knock out stages, as they would start in off / pre season.

[Ozyhibby]

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Up until Christmas, maybe. But you're pretty much writing off any chance of progressing further through the knock out stages, as they would start in off / pre season.

Cross that bridge when we get to it?

[Sir David Gray]

Waste of time.

Our weather in the summer is often very wet, windy and relatively cool. Whilst it's always going to be milder in June than it is in January, I just don't see the need for changing things.

As someone else has already said, changing to summer football will still mean that we'll play in the winter, it just won't be as much.

And I can see many people giving up season tickets as well as people have other activities that they do during the summer months, not to mention going away on holiday. If people know that they'll potentially miss four or five matches a season due to changing to summer football then they'll probably not bother buying a season ticket.

I also like the fixtures during Christmas and New Year and I think the winter months, with the long periods of darkness that we experience at that time of year, are depressing enough without missing out on the football as well.

It's a no from me.

[bingo70]

Delighted if anything comes off this. I hate being cold.

Game that sums it up for me was the falkirk game last season. Finished 3 all and it was probably actually a very good game but I was bloody miserable as it was so cold. From the first minute I just wanted the game finished with and if I never had a season ticket there's pretty much no chance I'd have gone.

I might even buy a strip, don't bother now as I'd never wear it to games as for most of the season I've got about 8 layers on,

There's also the commercial benefits of not competing with the English league and offering a summer alternative to people who want their football fix all year round.

[Swedish hibee]

Summer football works in Sweden where Swedish teams have progressed much further in European cup competitions than Scottish teams.
This is not a problem here, so why would it be a problem in Scotland? Poor argument against it from SFA.


I personally think Scotland is crazy not to have football during the summer season.

[Sir David Gray]

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Summer football works in Sweden where Swedish teams have progressed much further in European cup competitions than Scottish teams.
This is not a problem here, so why would it be a problem in Scotland? Poor argument against it from SFA.


I personally think Scotland is crazy not to have football during the summer season.

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.

[lord bunberry]

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Summer football works in Sweden where Swedish teams have progressed much further in European cup competitions than Scottish teams.
This is not a problem here, so why would it be a problem in Scotland? Poor argument against it from SFA.


I personally think Scotland is crazy not to have football during the summer season.

And why is it not a problem for the Swedish national team regarding international fixtures? I'm all for giving it a go, if it doesn't work we could always switch back. It's madness that we're not playing when the weather is best.

[Eyrie]

We could play during the summer, when it is cool and raining, or during the winter, when it is freezing and raining. Hmmm, even a Yam could work that one out.

I think this could tie into changing the league structure. If we move to a 18 team top flight then there will be four fewer match days to fit in, which reduces the issue of clashes with international or European football. The season could start a couple of weeks earlier and finish a couple of weeks later to provide a break for World Cups and European Championships.

[Haymaker]

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Sorry, I did not make myself clear, I did not just mean Hibs. I meant that the performances in Europe of all Scottish teams would improve if we had a summer football.

Would they? The team would still need to win games which would be a 50% chance at best. Scottish teams could still fall out at the first stage. So I disagree it would bring better results in europe.

[CropleyWasGod]

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And why is it not a problem for the Swedish national team regarding international fixtures? I'm all for giving it a go, if it doesn't work we could always switch back. It's madness that we're not playing when the weather is best.

Possibly because most of them play abroad?

[Haymaker]

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We could play during the summer, when it is cool and raining, or during the winter, when it is freezing and raining. Hmmm, even a Yam could work that one out.

I think this could tie into changing the league structure. If we move to a 18 team top flight then there will be four fewer match days to fit in, which reduces the issue of clashes with international or European football. The season could start a couple of weeks earlier and finish a couple of weeks later to provide a break for World Cups and European Championships.

We would still play in the cold of winter.

[Haymaker]

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Delighted if anything comes off this. I hate being cold.

Game that sums it up for me was the falkirk game last season. Finished 3 all and it was probably actually a very good game but I was bloody miserable as it was so cold. From the first minute I just wanted the game finished with and if I never had a season ticket there's pretty much no chance I'd have gone.

I might even buy a strip, don't bother now as I'd never wear it to games as for most of the season I've got about 8 layers on,

There's also the commercial benefits of not competing with the English league and offering a summer alternative to people who want their football fix all year round.

You will still be cold

[Haymaker]

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Lets give it a try. If there is any chance it would improve crowds then it has to be looked at.

Better football improves crowds. Not weather.

[bingo70]

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You will still be cold

But less cold and not as often.

[Haymaker]

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But less cold and not as often.

Really? I would say that pre season (who would we play?!) starting in January... Season ending in late november? Reckon it would work out the same.

[bingo70]

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Better football improves crowds. Not weather.

I think they're both a factor abd fixing one won't solve all the problems in our game.

I've got mates that are your typical hampden day out hibs fans and there's been loads of games they've spoken about going to Easter road but woke up on the day of the game and looked at the weather and thought **** that then decided to stay in the pub instead.

I know there'll still be the issue of the rain but if we want to attract fair weather fans back we need to play when the weather is fairer!

[Haymaker]

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I think they're both a factor abd fixing one won't solve all the problems in our game.

I've got mates that are your typical hampden day out hibs fans and there's been loads of games they've spoken about going to Easter road but woke up on the day of the game and looked at the weather and thought **** that then decided to stay in the pub instead.

I know there'll still be the issue of the rain but if we want to attract fair weather fans back we need to play when the weather is fairer!

No we need to play better football. Winning football. Playing over june and july (we are bsck playing at the end of July!) wont make a diffetence. Not enough to make a switch.


I said it earlier but no one wants to argue it. Whst ACTUAL change would summer football bring?

[Sir David Gray]

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I think they're both a factor abd fixing one won't solve all the problems in our game.

I've got mates that are your typical hampden day out hibs fans and there's been loads of games they've spoken about going to Easter road but woke up on the day of the game and looked at the weather and thought **** that then decided to stay in the pub instead.

I know there'll still be the issue of the rain but if we want to attract fair weather fans back we need to play when the weather is fairer!

I'm sure that if we moved to summer football, those who are currently staying away because of the winter weather would find another reason to not go, maybe the seats would be too hard for them or there would be too much dough in the pizzas.

[Haymaker]

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I'm sure that if we moved to summer football, those who are currently staying away because of the winter weather would find another reason to not go, maybe the seats would be too hard for them or there would be too much dough in the pizzas.

This.


The same problems in scotland will continue. Summer football changes nothing.

[hibbytam]

for:
- a higher chance of having games in nice weather, so attracting more fans along.
- Better pitches, as the grass is growing in the summer
- This *might* lead to better football being played, particularly if we're not playing in howling gales etc.
= gives the game a unique selling point, particularly for TV coverage

against:
- Tradition, particularly the loss of christmas/new year games, and possibly moving the SC final to later in the year.
- Possible problems attracting players here out of sync to the English season.
- It's Scotland, summer weather can be pish too.
- Clash with summer internationals, particularly world cups and Euro championships.


I think i'm broadly in favour of trying it. There have certainly been games I've attended mid winter that I've really wondered why i've bothered(though that might be as much to do with Hibs as anything).

[Haymaker]

Better pitches... When we rip them up in feb and when we end in Nov. When grass doesnt grow. Yep.

Better football due to better pitches... Only if the players (and teams) want to play "better football".

[bingo70]

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No we need to play better football. Winning football. Playing over june and july (we are bsck playing at the end of July!) wont make a diffetence. Not enough to make a switch.


I said it earlier but no one wants to argue it. Whst ACTUAL change would summer football bring?

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.

[Diclonius]

I'd be in favour of summer football on the TV issue alone. Football would never end and my partner would be furious.

[hibbytam]

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Better pitches... When we rip them up in feb and when we end in Nov. When grass doesnt grow. Yep.

Better football due to better pitches... Only if the players (and teams) want to play "better football".

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.

[Swedish hibee]

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Possibly because most of them play abroad?

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

[Diclonius]

A question - if we do switch to summer football, how will the transition happen? Will there be no football from June to January or will we extend the season to run for over a year?