Imagine if we still had Winter soccer this year?
How many games would we be behind at this stage. Between the all the rain of November and December, and the freezing conditions of the last few weeks.
Viva Summer soccer. :ball:
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Imagine if we still had Winter soccer this year?
How many games would we be behind at this stage. Between the all the rain of November and December, and the freezing conditions of the last few weeks.
Viva Summer soccer. :ball:
Here here, we'd have no gates for clubs for 5 or 6 weeks. It would be a financial disaster. Dark old days - lets not go back there.
Was it Sligo who's fans were claiming that their attendances were down because of vital farm work that has to take place in the long summer evenings. That was one of my favourites.
The club soccer is winter soccer though isn't it?!
Football.
I was thinking this meself, would be a complete disaster and if any game s did go ahead there would be virtually nobody at them so keep it in the Sumemr even though there still are postponments with heavy rain at times during the Summer.Quote:
Originally Posted by sullanefc
people who want loi to be played in winter deserve a facepalm. ireland really doesnt have a country for cold spells like this, and especially our football infrastructure which is absolute ****.
the farm thing is true unfortunitly.. i know a lot of lads who went to town games every week until we switched to summer football. the summer weather helps make going to a game a more attractive proposition and helps s in europe but it hasnt helped the smaller clubs much
Summer Soccer without a doubt. Not just because of the weather but the LOI clubs have done well in Europe since the move to summer soccer. On another note, the Scottish leagues should really move to summer soccer aswell.
No matter which way you play the league, whether it be during the Summer or Winter, its going to effect smaller teams in some way, thats the problem, main point to think about is: which will affect the greater amount and which will generate better sponsorship, more coverage and increase crowds, not to mention European results, if they go back to the WInter timing then it will be a disaster, look at the Northern League, when was the last time any of the clubs had a positive result in Europe!
They'll be considering it up North aswell I'd imagine. Most of their Christmas programme was wiped out. It cost Coleraine up to £40,000
if they swaped over it might make holding a compitition simmilar to the setanta cup much easier. id like to see the top 2 welsh teams get in aswell as llanelli and tns are both professional and would add a little extra somthing to the tournamentQuote:
Originally Posted by gufc2000
btw irish weather isn't the worst, like a lot of countries have ****ter winter weather but the way ireland is so rural and has crap stadiums would make winter football just terrible.Quote:
Originally Posted by sheao
the spl wouldn't need to go to summer football because they have quality stadiums and good transport in scotland.
Yeah, I remember those days 30 odd years ago when we last had a winter like this...Quote:
Originally Posted by Grey Boy
Any real evidence for this increase in sponsorship and increased crowds? The only increase in TV Coverage is because of the TV Deal for international games and has nothing to do with the season timing. For the short period we're not up against UK football, or international tournaments, we're swamped by the GAA instead (and attendances are actually down during the UK close season anyway). European results are more to do with spending than league timing, comparison with the Irish League is invalid because of the spending differential and the fact they don't seem to give a toss about european football.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grey Boy
We're stuck with a "summer" season for the foreseeable future, but there's little, if any, evidence it's been of any benefit compared to a traditional season.
Yeah partly the farmers and partly "housewives bringing their children to the beach" if I remember rightly. The farmers thing has a basis in reality. We definitely lost a few when it came in but as for the housewives..Quote:
Originally Posted by Jicked
That's largely true on the SPL stadium front. Though Fir Park always seems to have cancelled fixtures in bad weather for some inexplicable reason, and the SFA have had words with a few others in recent days about the performance of theirr under-soil heating.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishultra
However - there are three other senior divisions below the SPL you know, and their fixtures tend to get completely erased in bad weather, often for weeks on end. Lower division Scottish stadia are broadly better than the ones in Ireland (even compared to our Premier Division), but they do also tend to face worse weather than us.
After this Winter's fixture chaos in Scotland, I've no doubt the idea of Summer football will have crossed the minds of a few Chairmen there.
fair play Macy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
i love the "imagine if we had winter football" topic popping up in the worst winter since 1982!!
there is absolutely no evidence that crowds are better because of the move (to summer soccer) or that sponsorship is better. surely the clash with the GAA in summer months (support and exposure wise) and also people on holiday etc. have reduced numbers/interest.
i'd definitely be all for winter soccer.
as for european results, fair enough some have got some decent results but no team has made th breakthrough to group stages, a lot have sailed very close to the wind trying to and in reality only 3 or 4 teams out of the 22 league sides see the benefit of it anyway.
I'd broadly agree with this, though I'm not sure about evidence that crowds are up, especially for each club. Rovers' crowds last season will bring up the average, but that doesn't do any good for clubs in the First Division, for example.Quote:
Originally Posted by BYCTWD
Also, I think the next few seasons in Europe will give some insight into how much of our on-the-field improvement had to do with summer football and how much had to do with spending cash clubs didn't have.
Wouldn't be too sure on that, tbh. Look at Sligo this year losing to a club that was trying to lose. I think once financial reality settles on the league, there'll be a couple of hammerings.Quote:
Originally Posted by BYCTWD
Though I was pleasantly surprised how a much weaker Pat's side than recent years still did very well in Europe this time around.
About the havic Winter weather causes on Scottish football - yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by BYCTWD
On the spectator appeal of Shamrock Rovers and them 'doing up their stadium' - no.
:)
it done us a lot of harm.. i can assure you that we had a lot of supporters from my area and even letrim and cavan who dont go anymore and it coencided with the switch... farmers and builders :)Quote:
Originally Posted by BYCTWD
because now were unattractive to watch unfortunitly, sucess brings fans, as your club has seen...... the attendance is dow over 1,000 than it was a few years ago.. thats a lot for us.. its a lot for any clubQuote:
Originally Posted by BYCTWD
ive never actually said that switching back was the sollution more that it atleast had an impact on our clubs fortunes...Quote:
Originally Posted by BYCTWD
but now that you mention it a lot of those lads i told you about have said that they would still be going but for the switch so meh..
Sorry but I have to go against the general mood and promote winter football. I think there is something unnatural about playing games in the middle of summer and the atmosphere at games imo are rubbish compared to floodlit games. Floodlit games i think provide tribal atmospheres and generally the placed is buzzing. There was nothing quite like standing in oriel in the ****ing rain, freezing cold wind watching a mediocre game of footy. it is what i call endurance.
I would compare summer football to playing a guitar with nylon strings. you just don't get the pain that proper strings provide you when you first learn
well that is all great for you, but i go to matches to enjoy myself not to endure suffering. the reason the atmosphere is crap at games because it's hard for fans to care if they are playing bray wanderers for the 18th time in one season and loi grounds don't facilitate good atmosphere.
I would like the season to revert back to winter soccer for the following reasons:
1. xmas matches nothing like goin to a match at xmas with mates that havent being home in ages.
2. the atmosphere is a lot better and louder in the cold frosty air than the summer.
I rest my case...
I would like to remain with summer football because:
1.More enjoyable experience. The LOI is depressing enough without being played in the depths of winter
2.Overshadowed by the English league and sadly even scottish leagues
3.More likely to travel-Ireland has poor transport, really poor and it be much harder to get to games in winter than it is in summer.
Two thirds of the season is the same in the two seasons. Did they only go to games in December, January and February?Quote:
Originally Posted by Acornvilla
When Derry city come to Longford in the warm nights of summer next season I'm sure the atmosphere will be as good as any winter game that you's aspire too. ;)
I think people are hanging on to old romantic memories (certainly the longford lads as they were sucessful) where they remember the good days with a cup a soup in the hands. And that's fair enough. I remember ATFC and Sligo going for Div 1 title in 94/95, gates a couple of thousand were common place at St Mels then and indeed the deceider against Sligo in Mels was a nite to remember for me. Cold March evening which sligo won two nil. (the Slgo lads will remeber signing whers the stand gone, where the stand gone to the tune of where's ya mama gone) as it had been blown down in the winter storms!
So... Anyway, Div 1 is back again in March and while looking forward to the game after the break i'm not looking forward to the cold, wet march evening, the same type of weather i fondly remember of the 90s, but only cos we ain't as good as we were!
For the record, i'd perfer winter football.
mods out of intrest could we have a poll on this?
Later kos fix that problem.Quote:
Originally Posted by jinxy lilywhite
It's what I call hell.Quote:
There was nothing quite like standing in oriel in the ****ing rain, freezing cold wind watching a mediocre game of footy. it is what i call endurance.
so all the young men are working on the farm while all the housewives are at the beach.. so we have gone from roddy collins to jackie collinsQuote:
Originally Posted by Longfordian
I disagree with the dark cold night factor improving the atmosphere.
In my book, the atmosphere is top notch when its scorching and everyones either topless or got one layer on :D;)
scoring in ireland? lol when.
But attendances are actually down during the UK close season rather than up.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishultra
A move back probably wouldn't change much, just as the move to summer football didn't change anything for the positive - as shown by people still trying to justify the switch with anecdotes and mistruths. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to football - it should be watched stood up, and in a winter season.
well im not a traditionalists at all. the only reason we had football during winter is prob because britain did it. british traditions translated to other leagues but it doesn't make them sacred. my opinion.
standing in the old guiness shed :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
I can't make up my mind in this argument,
Summer produces better conditions on the pitch and it gives you something to do in the summer.
Winter would get you through those cold, dark days in January which has nothing else to offer, however the conditions would decline (eg. the current weather)
Simply not true. The major factor is that Irish clubs are well into their season by the time European competition comes around.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy