Should the Premier Division shift back to a fall-spring schedule?

[shizzle787]

From the research I have done, when the league shifted to a summer schedule around 2003, the reason for the switch was to improve attendances due to a fall-spring schedule being played in bad weather. However, attendances have actually slightly fallen since then. So, should the Premier Division shift back to a fall-spring schedule?

[Jofspring]

From the research I have done, when the league shifted to a summer schedule around 2003, the reason for the switch was to improve attendances due to a fall-spring schedule being played in bad weather. However, attendances have actually slightly fallen since then. So, should the Premier Division shift back to a fall-spring schedule?

As I mentioned in the match thread, junior soccer has gone months in most parts of the country without any games being played due to adverse weather. This has been happening more often the last number of years which definitely demonstrates how much worse Irish weather is becoming. If the LOI switched back you could be looking at games getting called off every weekend, new fixtures having to be made etc... If you are lucky enough to get games going ahead then the chances are your pitch will be destroyed. The few people that do bother going to games would start to fall away also.

Attendances could always be better but they aren't shocking by any means. The usual teams have decent crowds and then the rest depend completely on success.

In an ideal world you have a premier league filled with teams spread out all over the country in places with large catchment areas but sadly it doesn't work like that.

[sullanefc]

Fall? Really?

[White Horse]

When I see words like "fall" and "soccer" appear in a thread, it is best to slip out quietly.

[nigel-harps1954]

When I see words like "fall" and "soccer" appear in a thread, it is best to slip out quietly.

Soccer players fall down all the time. Personally, I think it's ruining the game.

[littlebray]

When I see words like "fall" and "soccer" appear in a thread, it is best to slip out quietly.

We could go back to "Association" - and describing it as the dribbling game.

But we should grow up and realise we can't claim sole rights to the term "football", not in a country where two other football codes have very solid followings etc etc etc.

Nothing wrong with Soccer.

[atfconline]

The ones where they use their hands the whole time?

[Charlie Darwin]

We could go back to "Association" - and describing it as the dribbling game.

But we should grow up and realise we can't claim sole rights to the term "football", not in a country where two other football codes have very solid followings etc etc etc.

Nothing wrong with Soccer.
That's garbage.

[Ezeikial]

There is an incredible amount of disrespect being shown here for a perfectly sensible opening post from Shizzle. A fall-spring schedule would avoid the winter, right?

I await with bated breath the next earth-shattering suggestion for new similar threads. Suggestions?

[Treaty Gooner]

If the LOI switched back you could be looking at games getting called off every weekend

No you wouldn't.

[Battery Rover]

Personally on selfish note I would love it to return to a winter season. Unfortunately for me I can't make games anymore from mid March through to middle of October due to my line of work. Have no work from November through to March that couldn't be put off for a day or two to attend games. Unfortunately the rest of the year is nearly all deadlines.

[Martinho II]

Personally on selfish note I would love it to return to a winter season. Unfortunately for me I can't make games anymore from mid March through to middle of October due to my line of work. Have no work from November through to March that couldn't be put off for a day or two to attend games. Unfortunately the rest of the year is nearly all deadlines.

was wondering why I hadnt seen you at games in ages..

[TonyD]

I like the season as it is now, if for no other reason than the pitches are generally in better nick and the quality of the football played has as a result, in my view, improved.

[nigel-harps1954]

I like the season as it is now, if for no other reason than the pitches are generally in better nick and the quality of the football played has as a result, in my view, improved.

Of all the reasons though, the pitch argument doesn't actually hold up, at least for the first third of the season.

There's no growth over winter. The only time a pitch gets a rest and a chance to grow in the League of Ireland is when there's two away games in a row and during the mid-season break. In a winter season, a club can prepare the pitch for more harsh conditions through the summer and have it in great shape for the start of the season, and the end of the season at least.

As it is, we start of crap pitches, and we end on crap pitches. It's no surprise more teams are starting to consider artificial surfaces now.

[citybone]

I would hate it,

[Charlie Darwin]

Of all the reasons though, the pitch argument doesn't actually hold up, at least for the first third of the season.

There's no growth over winter. The only time a pitch gets a rest and a chance to grow in the League of Ireland is when there's two away games in a row and during the mid-season break. In a winter season, a club can prepare the pitch for more harsh conditions through the summer and have it in great shape for the start of the season, and the end of the season at least.

As it is, we start of crap pitches, and we end on crap pitches. It's no surprise more teams are starting to consider artificial surfaces now.
So what you're saying is that teams can "prepare" their pitches for harsh conditions in a winter season, but this is somehow impossible even if they have the entire winter free to work on it?

Fair enough, let's play our games in the worst conditions possible because we'll have the entire summer to prepare the ground for when the grass can't grow.

[El-Pietro]

Is this thread suggesting that the Premier Division change to winter and leave the first Division in the summer?

[punkrocket]

That's garbage.

Best place for it is a big yellow dumpster.

[seand]

Alternative thread title .... You know what this league needs- worse weather and playing European games in pre-season.

[vinnie]

Why has nobody complained about the Pitch in Oriel yet ?? Shocking altogether ;)

[EatYerGreens]

Should Ireland shift back to a schedule of not using irritating Americanisms in place of the words it's been happy using for years instead ? :p

[sulywaterfordfc]

Firstly, both leagues need to end the same time of the year. Because of the play off system. So it wouldn't work having both leagues finishing months apart. Secondly, if rain can cause two pitches to led to a postment in April then how do you expect all pitches to hold up to 3/4 months of constant rain. You just have to look at the junior leagues. Down here there was hardly a game between November and February of the current season. All because of the weather. Thirdly, as little of a chance clubs have Europe this would make them even slimmer. As players would be lacking fitness and competitive matches and game time in general. Fourth, Because of the weather there'd be an added cost of pitch maintenance due to the weather over a certain period. On top of that some pitches are better enough as it is in the summer.

[Nesta99]

Some really radical thinking by the powers that be could use the March - November schedule especially during the summer months to promote the game beyond these shores. A little more adventurous that the betting sites. Sure Shamrock Rovers must be one of the biggest supported European clubs in India by now!

Its bloody cold enough in March/April and October/November in wide open grounds as it is seeing as we have gotten soft after winter matches became a thing of the past.

[Couch Potato]

I'm not so convinced by the "pitches wont be playable" argument. I've been involved with an Intermediate side for years and our Private Pitch is rarely unplayable.
The majority of junior games get called off because the councils close the parks but most Private Pitches are playable most of the time.

That said whilst I miss the cold dark Friday nights under lights there is no doubt in my mind that the football being played in the league now is better due to the conditions of summer football and generally our European results are better.

[joey B]

This is a small aspect of this debate,but I miss having the cup final on a nice warm May afternoon rather than the dreary wet winter November day its on now, I think it diminishes the spectacle of the cup final somehow.

[El-Pietro]

This is a small aspect of this debate,but I miss having the cup final on a nice warm May afternoon rather than the dreary wet winter November day its on now, I think it diminishes the spectacle of the cup final somehow.

There is nothing preventing us moving the Cup to the summer. Sweden and several other countries with similar seasons to ours start their Cup season in the second half of the calendar year and finish it after the winter break. We could move our final to August or September easily if we wanted to.

[seand]

The strange thing about the Swedish Cup (among others) is that the most of the European places are allocated at the end of the summer season in October, with one place held over for the winners of the cup , which is then played early the following season. So Norrkoping are already qualified for the Champions League as 2015 Swedish champions, Gothenburg and AIK are in the Europa League based on league performance in 2015 and the cup qualifiers will only be decided in May 2016.

[Martinho II]

This is a small aspect of this debate,but I miss having the cup final on a nice warm May afternoon rather than the dreary wet winter November day its on now, I think it diminishes the spectacle of the cup final somehow.

I rem our 1st cup final in may 01 and we were soaked through! so cant vouch for that I am afraid. maybe for ye it was.

[Nesta99]

I rem our 1st cup final in may 01 and we were soaked through! so cant vouch for that I am afraid. maybe for ye it was.

Oh we fairly basked in the sun in '02 too!!

[TonyD]

Of all the reasons though, the pitch argument doesn't actually hold up, at least for the first third of the season.

There's no growth over winter. The only time a pitch gets a rest and a chance to grow in the League of Ireland is when there's two away games in a row and during the mid-season break. In a winter season, a club can prepare the pitch for more harsh conditions through the summer and have it in great shape for the start of the season, and the end of the season at least.

As it is, we start of crap pitches, and we end on crap pitches. It's no surprise more teams are starting to consider artificial surfaces now.

Afraid I can't agree with you there. You've probably got a point about the first few weeks of the season, but after that the pitches are in much better nick than they used to be during the September/May season. Once pitches are kept watered through the summer months they are fine, and they are also fine up to the end of October, before the harsh weather comes. Much harder to keep pitches in good nick when they are being regularly churned up between November/February. We're not the Premier League where clubs have fortunes to spend on the upkeep of pitches.