Tam M Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 I can see why people think this move would have an adverse effect on attendances, but that's purely hypothetical. I happen to believe, after some adjustment, it could improve attendances and certainly not cause any dramatic drop. The "holiday" reason would have far less of an impact these days as many people take holidays outwith the summer months. Nothing is insurmountable and I'd love to see it given a 5 year trial. It could always be returned to the situation as it is now. Agree with you regarding holidays. I tend to go away when it's miserable here earlier on in the year and later on the year. Nothing better leaving a -2 Glasgow Airport and touching down somewhere warm and sunny a few hours later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 (edited) Option 2. We need to give it a go. This debate crops up every year. Lets try it, if it doesn't work, then change it back. The quality of football isnt great at the moment and i think we should try anything to change it, surely watching a kick about on a summers day is better than dross on a freezing wet January. Least the sun would be shining. Think of midweek games too, I would much rather take myself along to a game tonight, than a midweek game in the dead of winter... No brainer. The idea of giving it a go makes a lot of sense. What's the worst that can happen? If it doesn't prove to be viable, revert back to the current arrangements. Personally, I'm fed up with football of the depths of a Scottish winter. Its fine to suggest that there are other things we could be doing in the summer, but, frankly, I can think of numerous things I'd rather do on a hellish winter's afternoon or evening than drag myself along to the match. I attended a midweek match this season and the area around the ground was like a bloody ice rink. It was perilous for someone with no mobility issues (I nearly fell on my arse twice), so I can't imagine that anyone who might be a bit frail would want to take a chance in those conditions. I also felt genuinely sorry for some of the kids who had been ushered along that night. They looked thoroughly miserable, and that cant be good for the future of the game. Let's face it, it is now all too easy just to sit at home and turn on the TV to take in a game if you're inclined to do so. Anything that makes attending matches more attractive must be worth a shot. A trial of 'summer football' would be a sensible way forward. Nothing ventured, etc.... Edited June 10, 2015 by Drew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FS Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 Do the people here saying they prefer to go on holiday etc in the summer realise we are still talking about a 10 month long fitba season here ? Some of that would be summer and the vast majority of it would be late winter/spring and autumn going back into winter. The notion of a January/February shutdown would effectively be the close season anyway. I think the Canary Islands do good business then too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 I can understand why people would want it but personally I probably would not renew my season ticket. For example I am busy for the next three weekends then a week on Mull so if football was being played just now I'd miss too many games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isle Of Bute Saint Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 Have a lot of hobbies in the summer months also , however would love summer football just so much more comfortable than sitting in freezing weather. Summer football for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leolovesstmfc Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 I think summer football would be great for Scottish football! There's no decent Football on over the summer on sky and you would not have to go up against the English premiership! Think about it just now who would you watch Inverness v Celtic or Man U v Chelsea?? The weather is good schools are off and parents struggle to keep kids entertained kids take them to the football! We would kick our European campaign's half way through the season when we are up and running! I think it could save our game and fill the void of lack of football on TV over the summer meaning more TV revenues for Scottish Clubs! Probably sell more football tops! Scottish football is dying so time to try something new! I can't see any reason it would not work World cups would prove difficult if we get to one as would be European championships! But considering France 98 was our last appearance I hope it would help us not have to wait 18 years to qualify for another major tournament! From a national point of veiw its a good thing as well the English based players will see no change the Scottish based players will be fully fit for the start of the qualifiers! We play football at the wrong time just now we always have! We give players the best possible pitches we can. Motherwell excluded from that statement! Why not give them the best weather Scotland can muster!! Pubs can have football all year round and St.Mirren would have there New Kit out before I go on holiday for a change! It's a no brainer for me YES to summer football!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oaksoft Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 If we play football in the summer, who will collect in the harvest crops? Seriously, trying it out as an experiment is a no brainer and we problably should have done this years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintargyll Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 I think summer football would be great for Scottish football! There's no decent Football on over the summer on sky and you would not have to go up against the English premiership! Think about it just now who would you watch Inverness v Celtic or Man U v Chelsea?? The weather is good schools are off and parents struggle to keep kids entertained kids take them to the football! We would kick our European campaign's half way through the season when we are up and running! I think it could save our game and fill the void of lack of football on TV over the summer meaning more TV revenues for Scottish Clubs! Probably sell more football tops! Scottish football is dying so time to try something new! I can't see any reason it would not work World cups would prove difficult if we get to one as would be European championships! But considering France 98 was our last appearance I hope it would help us not have to wait 18 years to qualify for another major tournament! From a national point of veiw its a good thing as well the English based players will see no change the Scottish based players will be fully fit for the start of the qualifiers! We play football at the wrong time just now we always have! We give players the best possible pitches we can. Motherwell excluded from that statement! Why not give them the best weather Scotland can muster!! Pubs can have football all year round and St.Mirren would have there New Kit out before I go on holiday for a change! It's a no brainer for me YES to summer football!! your right..its over hyped te f**k ......glad im a saints fan...might be pish....but its my pish..to far??? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappy coco Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 Summer football all the way... for the typical working family xmas must be the biggest financial burden of the year, you spend at least a couple of months worrying your ass off to get your kids all the latest goodies,then its usually the end of January before you're back on you're feet, Summer holidays are a luxury, but for most xmas is compulsory, so for financial reasons its a no brainer for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Dickson Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 I don't really understand why there is a scramble to move the football season. Many seem to be of the impression that every match would be bathed in sunshine - but as the parent of an athlete I can assure you that isn't the case. I've froze my bollocks off trying to shelter at Linwood in July, been battered by winds in Kilmarncok in September and I've never seen a warm day in Dumfries at the first outdoor race meeting in April. I've seen training sessions at Wishaw cancelled because the track is waterlogged many times throughout the "summer season" and I've seen track meetings cancelled because of high winds that would have made javelin throwing dangerous, never mind farcical. I think the game would be better served leaving the season as it is, although under soil heating should be turned off. I do believe that if pitches are frozen then it's too cold for football fans to be expected to sit watching it, an it's also likely to be more dangerous to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 (edited) I don't really understand why there is a scramble to move the football season. Many seem to be of the impression that every match would be bathed in sunshine - but as the parent of an athlete I can assure you that isn't the case. I've froze my bollocks off trying to shelter at Linwood in July, been battered by winds in Kilmarncok in September and I've never seen a warm day in Dumfries at the first outdoor race meeting in April. I've seen training sessions at Wishaw cancelled because the track is waterlogged many times throughout the "summer season" and I've seen track meetings cancelled because of high winds that would have made javelin throwing dangerous, never mind farcical. I think the game would be better served leaving the season as it is, although under soil heating should be turned off. I do believe that if pitches are frozen then it's too cold for football fans to be expected to sit watching it, an it's also likely to be more dangerous to drive. Flawed logic here, Stuart, if you don't mind me saying. The (accepted) fact that we cannot be guaranteed wall to wall good weather out with the winter months in Scotland cannot be a sound argument for not changing the season to increase the odds of more favourable conditions. Edited June 11, 2015 by Drew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADMITCHELL Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 Option 2 for me. Standing(safe standing) in the glorious sunshine(summer football) with a pint of something(alcohol reintroduced) watching the saints gub some other team. Perfection. We can but dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 Keep as is. As others have said there are plenty of other things to do in the summer and watching St mirren would probably be low on the pecking order for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TsuMirren Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 If we move to summer football it won't be long before we're complaining about the pitches and not be able to let them recover. Winter period isn't a time for working on the pitch. That would then lead to artificial pitches. The other obvious question is holidays, do players have the ability to accept holidaying in winter and having to play through summer. Summer, as others have pointed out, is for holidays and other activities. Why not just have a one month break in January, with a 16 team top flight playing twice and the league cup played in July/August to supplement the 30 games that we'd only get in the league. We could even have indoor tournaments during the break like they do in Germany. As Slash says, decent football would also help. Watching 11 wimps, shirking from tackles and refusing to go past a man in case they lose possession will drive more fans from the game than the weather will. Not to mention, Doncaster's inability to bring money in to the game so Scotland can compete with League Two down south financially will lead to people going out on Saturday afternoon because they get better promoted football on TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopCat Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 Said it before, I'll say it again. Keep it as it is, it's fine. If we moved to summer football I wouldn't renew my season ticket, and I know I wouldn't be alone. There's simply far better alternatives to the football on a Saturday afternoon in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrong Planet Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 I'm very biased on this as I've long argued for a switch to summer football. That said, I appreciate the complexities and concerns with doing so. It's a non-trivial change for a multitude of reasons. To those dead against I'd say this, if we currently played summer football, and had done so historically, and there was a proposal on the table to start playing in the winter months, you can only imagine the list of arguments against. In fact, on the face of it, you could almost see proponents of switching to a winter schedule being ridiculed. For me the likes of Pappas Cheese, Drew and Oaky have this spot on, the only way to explore this tangibly is to have a trial for a set period, together with agreed review criteria / club and fan involvement et cetera to measure it's success. It's not a do or die scenario, at the end of the trial a reasoned decision can be made on whether to continue or revert. Proposals such as this need strong leadership, ability and willingness within the various footballing bodies in Scotland. More than that, it requires visionaries, entrepreneurs and risk takers. I'm trying to think of reasons why we haven't had a trial so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nosferatu Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 A very clued up poster on p&b has been over this many times. 'summer' football in Scotland, with the current fixture set up, would start mid Jan and end mid Dec. The Scottish cup final and important league run in games could be played in bad weather. Could be in danger of being postponed. Games at the start of the season might get postponed! It makes no sense and will never happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonny Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 My one and only gripe about winter football is the late decision making in calling off games. The ability of fans to attend should be the number one priority. Besides that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Dickson Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 Flawed logic here, Stuart, if you don't mind me saying. The (accepted) fact that we cannot be guaranteed wall to wall good weather out with the winter months in Scotland cannot be a sound argument for not changing the season to increase the odds of more favourable conditions. But what are "more favourable conditions" Drew? A look at the rainfall figures for Paisley for example show that the wettest months are January, March, October and November - so option 2 would have fans being soaked in three of the four wettest months. If we look at average temperatures December is usually a warmer month than February. Indeed if I look back at our (Wishaw Wycombe) record of postponed matches in Lanarkshire we've had more games postponed in the last five years for waterlogged parks in August and September than we have had for adverse weather in any other month of the year. Although in this last year we've had games in October and November where we played in strong winds that made the game farcical - and where on reflection the matches should have been postponed. I don't think there is a significant enough improvement to risk disenfranchising a number of supporters who clearly do have other Summer activities whether that involves golf or bowling - or trips away with the family. The idea of coming out to football matches in a t-shirt and shorts and sitting with a pint certainly is appealing, but the only way to guarantee that in Scotland would be to somehow cover every football stadium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbar_bud Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 I echo TC and say I wouldn't renew my season ticket if we played through the summer, generally fill my time with golf, family trips and a holiday meaning a season ticket would be pointless. Is the discussion behind this to increase attendances? Are attendances much different in April/May/August/September than they are in the winter months? Also like Tsu said, quality of pitches would decrease to the point everyone needed artificial surfaces. What has happened to attendances in the leagues where they do play in summer? Also, I see a few saying we should try it out? How would that work? Current season finishes in May, do we wait until the following February before starting the next season? Do we go for a compressed season from say July to December then kick on in February? What happens in World Cup and European championship summers? Can people afford season tickets a month after Christmas? Over the years we have had games cancelled due to snow in November, what happened if that was for a big play-off/ relegation decider? Rescheduled for a Wednesday night 2 weeks after the season had finished? I think it works fine the way it is, and I don't see summer football as being a saviour for Scottish football Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrong Planet Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 I echo TC and say I wouldn't renew my season ticket if we played through the summer, generally fill my time with golf, family trips and a holiday meaning a season ticket would be pointless. Is the discussion behind this to increase attendances? Are attendances much different in April/May/August/September than they are in the winter months? Also like Tsu said, quality of pitches would decrease to the point everyone needed artificial surfaces. What has happened to attendances in the leagues where they do play in summer? Also, I see a few saying we should try it out? How would that work? Current season finishes in May, do we wait until the following February before starting the next season? Do we go for a compressed season from say July to December then kick on in February? What happens in World Cup and European championship summers? Can people afford season tickets a month after Christmas? Over the years we have had games cancelled due to snow in November, what happened if that was for a big play-off/ relegation decider? Rescheduled for a Wednesday night 2 weeks after the season had finished? I think it works fine the way it is, and I don't see summer football as being a saviour for Scottish football With respect though Foxbar_Bud, all you are doing there is listing the same collection of problems that have been listed and debated for years. That doesn't take the debate forward. This discussion came about as a result of 'three-quarters of Scotland's top-flight clubs having told a BBC Scotland survey that they would consider a move to summer football'. It's largely pointless those in favor listing the pros, same for those against change listing all the cons. The only sensible solution, given that three-quarters of our clubs see a case for considering the move, is to take the pain and organise a formal trial. It won't be easy, but you simply cannot take a divisive issue such as this forward without some form of trial. Listing reasons why a trial would be too hard is not in itself a winning argument for not trying. If three-quarters of our clubs were dead against change then this debate would have died on it's feet. But that is not the scenario we have here. For or against, a trial surely seems a reasonable middle ground? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stlucifer Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 Would be option 2 then option 3 for me. I'm intrigued to see what impact it would have on commercial/TV deals as we would have no other football completion during the summer months. Surely Sky/BT see subscriptions switch off as their is no football, could see them keep a more steady base? I suppose it's similar to the A-League in Australia. Plays at different times in the year compared to Aussie Rules and the NRL and it's undoubtedly helped the game there. World cup and European championships aside? Every two years then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbar_bud Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 With respect though Foxbar_Bud, all you are doing there is listing the same collection of problems that have been listed and debated for years. That doesn't take the debate forward. This discussion came about as a result of 'three-quarters of Scotland's top-flight clubs having told a BBC Scotland survey that they would consider a move to summer football'. It's largely pointless those in favor listing the pros, same for those against change listing all the cons. The only sensible solution, given that three-quarters of our clubs see a case for considering the move, is to take the pain and organise a formal trial. It won't be easy, but you simply cannot take a divisive issue such as this forward without some form of trial. Listing reasons why a trial would be too hard is not in itself a winning argument for not trying. If three-quarters of our clubs were dead against change then this debate would have died on it's feet. But that is not the scenario we have here. For or against, a trial surely seems a reasonable middle ground? The fact these problems still remain unanswered after so many years may be that they cannot be remedied? As for a trial? How would this work? by doing a one year trial, it could impact on 3 years worth of football. leaving clubs with massive gaps between one season finishing and the next starting. Its easy to say lets give it a go, but there needs to be some thought behind how it would work and if it would work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nosferatu Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 With respect though Foxbar_Bud, all you are doing there is listing the same collection of problems that have been listed and debated for years. That doesn't take the debate forward. This discussion came about as a result of 'three-quarters of Scotland's top-flight clubs having told a BBC Scotland survey that they would consider a move to summer football'. It's largely pointless those in favor listing the pros, same for those against change listing all the cons. The only sensible solution, given that three-quarters of our clubs see a case for considering the move, is to take the pain and organise a formal trial. It won't be easy, but you simply cannot take a divisive issue such as this forward without some form of trial. Listing reasons why a trial would be too hard is not in itself a winning argument for not trying. If three-quarters of our clubs were dead against change then this debate would have died on it's feet. But that is not the scenario we have here. For or against, a trial surely seems a reasonable middle ground? As I mentioned above, with the current fixture list, the season would start mid Jan and end mid Dec. Clubs may want summer football but the reality would be Jan to Dec. I can't see the point of a trial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nosferatu Posted June 11, 2015 Report Share Posted June 11, 2015 And on the point of a trial, if the season ends in May and the new starts in Jan the following year, what do clubs do for cash flow in the meantime? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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