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Post by vern on Dec 29, 2009 18:41:09 GMT
Should non-league football do what the League of Ireland and Rugby League have done and make it a warm season running from, say, March to October?
Less cost for floodlight electricity. Less games called off. Warmer on the terraces. Beer gardens. League fans tempted to watch in the off-season....
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Post by silverfox on Dec 29, 2009 19:01:25 GMT
Get your coat, Vern.
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Post by vern on Dec 29, 2009 19:06:20 GMT
Give your reasons why not.
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Post by Burtie on Dec 29, 2009 19:09:27 GMT
Personally I reckon there's enough in life to enjoy during the warm summer months, but come winter, football is the only thing that stops people tumbling recklessly into a black bottomless pit of boredom and despair. It needs to stay where it is.
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Post by silverfox on Dec 29, 2009 19:28:48 GMT
Cricket, Vern, cricket.
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DaveF
1st team Player
Posts: 1,726
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Post by DaveF on Dec 29, 2009 19:32:14 GMT
Ignoring the fact that FIFA/FA set dates for each country's playing season, outside of which games may not be played (rules can be changed after all):- - It would kill the FA Cup, which is an essential source of income for non-League sides, but more importantly is an opportunity for glory. How could non-League sides play in a cup outside of their own season ?
- It would end the pyramid system in England. A team winning the Blue Square South in October would have to wait until the following August to play league games again in the national Conference, which would surely stay aligned with the Football League.
- Many people involved in non-League football are involved in alternative summer sports as participants or administrators.
- It would end the practice of non-League sides taking players on loan from pro clubs. That might actually be a good thing but it would stop many of those players from getting match practice.
- Grass grows in warm weather, I'm not sure what effect it would have on pitches if they were used throughout the summer and had to recover in winter when growing conditions are less favourable. Sure, Rugby League clubs cope but theu have more money to spend on their pitches.
- The cost of floodlighting would indeed be less but it's not actually that significant.
Presumably the summer season would only apply to senior non-League clubs ? The great mass of intermediate and junior sides would still have to play in winter as most of them would not have pitches in summer (grounds used for cricket)
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Post by Andy K on Dec 29, 2009 23:55:21 GMT
Trolliing, vern?
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Post by vern on Dec 30, 2009 9:00:00 GMT
Heaven forfend we unsettle the conservatives like you with new ideas.
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Post by Del on Dec 30, 2009 9:33:29 GMT
Should we switch the cricket to the winter, Vern?
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Post by Burtie on Dec 30, 2009 9:59:41 GMT
Apropos of this, I wonder if there's an argument for playing amateur youth football - say up to U14 - from March - October?
When I was a kid, I'm pretty sure that players didn't particularly learn to control and pass a ball on a churned up pitch 8 inches deep in mud and ice. In fact, the players that were picked for the team were the big lumps that could wellie the ball hardest out of the mud, as opposed to anyone that could dribble of play a good pass.
Purely from the point of view of encouraging skills in young players, and taking out the problem of the school year, I think it could work. I might write to Trevor Brooking about it. And tell him to make the bloody pitches smaller too.
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Post by vern on Dec 30, 2009 10:41:04 GMT
Should we switch the cricket to the winter, Vern? Switch it to Siberia for all I care, as long as I don't have to watch it.
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Post by vern on Dec 30, 2009 11:00:37 GMT
Ignoring the fact that FIFA/FA set dates for each country's playing season, outside of which games may not be played (rules can be changed after all):- - It would kill the FA Cup, which is an essential source of income for non-League sides, but more importantly is an opportunity for glory. How could non-League sides play in a cup outside of their own season ?
- It would end the pyramid system in England. A team winning the Blue Square South in October would have to wait until the following August to play league games again in the national Conference, which would surely stay aligned with the Football League.
- Many people involved in non-League football are involved in alternative summer sports as participants or administrators.
- It would end the practice of non-League sides taking players on loan from pro clubs. That might actually be a good thing but it would stop many of those players from getting match practice.
- Grass grows in warm weather, I'm not sure what effect it would have on pitches if they were used throughout the summer and had to recover in winter when growing conditions are less favourable. Sure, Rugby League clubs cope but theu have more money to spend on their pitches.
- The cost of floodlighting would indeed be less but it's not actually that significant.
Presumably the summer season would only apply to senior non-League clubs ? The great mass of intermediate and junior sides would still have to play in winter as most of them would not have pitches in summer (grounds used for cricket) Point by point. Ignoring the FIFA/FA point about dates, as they can be changed. 1. FA Cup - This has diminished in recent years due to having to play four qualifying rounds at our level before even getting a sniff at a Div3/Div4 team. I go for the NLP solution of no qualifying rounds and a fair chance for all teams to get a big draw. The vast majority of non-league sides would be out by October anyway, unless you actually think that they will progress past the Fourth Round proper. They would only need to play 3 games 'out of season' in December, January and February. The league sides are okay with Intertoto cup off-season. 2. It wouldn't kill the Pyramid at all - what scaremongering! You are looking at 3 sides from Isthmian, Southern and Northern Leagues who would be affected. Plenty of time for them then to get grounds ready, undersoil heating etc. 3. What people do in the summer is because they can't do it in football. I bet all those people would rather do football in the long and balmy summer evenings than 'alternative sports' (of which there are also plenty winter ones - basketball, ice hockey, speedway - the world outside Surrey is quite diverse, sports-wise) 4. It wouldn't end the practice at all. Most league clubs would like an outlet for players to be kept fit and active in the summer rather than have to spend half of July working off the paunches. They would have even more match practice than they currently get. Cricketers go and play in the southern hemisphere during our winters after all. 5. The grass one is beneficial as it grows and replenishes in the summer, just at the time when it can be used for active sport. It's winter sports that have problems 'coping' with grass quality and pitch standards. Easier life for groundsmen. 6. Floodlighting is of course a minor issue, I'm not an eco-warrior, however I think that the availability of summer evening fixtures played out in warm climes would bring a lot of support out compared to the negative aspects of freezing ones tits off on a cold Tuesday night in December/January. Remember how pleasant it was watching Sutton beat the Spurs XI on a nice evening in August? 7. I really don't believe that the 'great mass' of intermediate and junior sides all play on cricket pitches. Even in winter cricket wickets are fenced off from access by junior football teams. They don't play on the same surfaces. Anyway, I put forward my proposals to the house. Hope you like em!
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Post by SpiderBee on Dec 30, 2009 11:38:53 GMT
1. FA Cup - This has diminished in recent years due to having to play four qualifying rounds at our level before even getting a sniff at a Div3/Div4 team. I go for the NLP solution of no qualifying rounds and a fair chance for all teams to get a big draw. The vast majority of non-league sides would be out by October anyway, unless you actually think that they will progress past the Fourth Round proper. They would only need to play 3 games 'out of season' in December, January and February. The league sides are okay with Intertoto cup off-season.
2. It wouldn't kill the Pyramid at all - what scaremongering! You are looking at 3 sides from Isthmian, Southern and Northern Leagues who would be affected. Plenty of time for them then to get grounds ready, undersoil heating etc.
3. What people do in the summer is because they can't do it in football. I bet all those people would rather do football in the long and balmy summer evenings than 'alternative sports' (of which there are also plenty winter ones - basketball, ice hockey, speedway - the world outside Surrey is quite diverse, sports-wise)
4. It wouldn't end the practice at all. Most league clubs would like an outlet for players to be kept fit and active in the summer rather than have to spend half of July working off the paunches. They would have even more match practice than they currently get. Cricketers go and play in the southern hemisphere during our winters after all.
5. The grass one is beneficial as it grows and replenishes in the summer, just at the time when it can be used for active sport. It's winter sports that have problems 'coping' with grass quality and pitch standards. Easier life for groundsmen. Artificial watering of the pitch during hot spells is costly, time consuming and not eco-friendly. Please explain how groundsmen would have an easier life please?
6. Floodlighting is of course a minor issue, I'm not an eco-warrior, however I think that the availability of summer evening fixtures played out in warm climes would bring a lot of support out compared to the negative aspects of freezing ones tits off on a cold Tuesday night in December/January. Remember how pleasant it was watching Sutton beat the Spurs XI on a nice evening in August?
7. I really don't believe that the 'great mass' of intermediate and junior sides all play on cricket pitches. Even in winter cricket wickets are fenced off from access by junior football teams. They don't play on the same surfaces. What about those dual sportsmen who play cricket and football?
Anyway, I put forward my proposals to the house. Hope you like em![/quote] Complete bollocks IMHO!
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Post by vern on Dec 30, 2009 12:02:02 GMT
Cricket is w.ank
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Post by Del on Dec 30, 2009 12:46:27 GMT
Don't beat about the bush then vern!
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