16 Team Premier Division / Winter Season from 2012/13 TODAY'S DAILY MAIL

**legendz** · 26/10/2010, 3:40 PM

Clubs would be playing all year round it that was brought in, well the sides playing in Europe. In mid July, it's near when most sides are in Europe, just after the major Championships and a lot of sides are already out of the GAA.

**A face** · 27/10/2010, 7:59 PM

Winter Football could be seeing an return if some people have their way. If does change back then is it fair to ask on what grounds. And i'm not on about a vote or motion put forward, i'm on about a reasoned logical rational as to what the short term, mid term and long term advantages and disadvantages. Some measurables would be good.

I really cant see the pro to moving back. If there are any then people someone let me know what they are.

Is this going to be one of the biggest gaffs in LOI Football history?

Will the people who are trying to drive this through be answerable and accountable afterwards? Thats something we should have at the very least.

**OneRedArmy** · 27/10/2010, 8:12 PM

A lot of clubs are allegedly in favour.

Deckchairs on the Titanic stuff IMO. There's a hundred other more material things wrong with the League that energy should be devoted to sorting.

I'm not hugely in favour of the summer season either, but if clubs think its the answer to the problems they are even dumber than I thought (and thats pretty damn dumb).

Time to roll out the argument that every kid with a hurley in their hand and every adult watching their club or county side would be bursting through the gates of their nearest LoI ground if we played in the winter. Lets also use summer holidays and the feckin harvest as a reason not to go during the summer season while we're at it.....

**Mr A** · 27/10/2010, 8:15 PM

I've heard no one say that the clubs think this will solve their problems. I think it just boils down to the clubs feeling that the crowds were better in the winter season.

Although I'd like to see a transparent and clearly thought out decision process, this transition makes more sense than the move to summer football. At least this time the clubs know what they're getting into.

**MariborKev** · 27/10/2010, 9:45 PM

Originally Posted by A face

Will the people who are trying to drive this through be answerable and accountable afterwards? Thats something we should have at the very least.

That's easy. Just ring up each club and ask them what their views on this very subject where in the recent questionnaire/conference in Athlone.

**Spudulika** · 27/10/2010, 10:38 PM

This is a real rose tinted glasses thing, crowds were worse in some cases in the winter and certainly it's far easier to go a match on a Friday evening in August that getting soaked in Ballybofey in February. My mind was made up when I heard the most lucid and to the point, as well as all round thinker, in the LOI say it was better to go back to the winter league.

**A face** · 27/10/2010, 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by MariborKev

That's easy. Just ring up each club and ask them what their views on this very subject where in the recent questionnaire/conference in Athlone.

I know, that's what i'm referring to. How did clubs come to their conclusions before voting.

Originally Posted by Mr A

I've heard no one say that the clubs think this will solve their problems. I think it just boils down to the clubs feeling that the crowds were better in the winter season.

Well this 'feeling' just doesn't cut it. Its complete suicide in my opinion .... "LOI commits hara kiri with last move of the deck chairs" is what the headline should read.

Although I'd like to see a transparent and clearly thought out decision process, this transition makes more sense than the move to summer football. At least this time the clubs know what they're getting into.

I dont think all the stakeholders were asked by clubs for a start, so its club administrators taking it upon themselves to implement this. And for this i think we should all know their names at the very least.

Its the dumbest think i have ever seen. If the Winter Football Brigade (WFB) think it will improve the situation they should be made quantify it. Its a reasonable request and if a change of this magnitude were to be made in any other industry it would be a prerequisite to even requesting talks on the topic.

Are the WFB qualified enough to even be given this choice?

**A face** · 27/10/2010, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

My mind was made up when I heard the most lucid and to the point, as well as all round thinker, in the LOI say it was better to go back to the winter league.

Who is that anyway?

**Lim till i die** · 27/10/2010, 11:00 PM

Just to clarify face, are you saying you disagree with the proposed move back to winter football??

**Dodge** · 28/10/2010, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by Lim till i die

Just to clarify face, are you saying you disagree with the proposed move back to winter football??

And more importantly, how did you come to this conclusion? Where's your research?

**Réiteoir** · 28/10/2010, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by Spudulika

This is a real rose tinted glasses thing, crowds were worse in some cases in the winter and certainly it's far easier to go a match on a Friday evening in August that getting soaked in Ballybofey in February. My mind was made up when I heard the most lucid and to the point, as well as all round thinker, in the LOI say it was better to go back to the winter league.

I remember going to a Home Farm vs. Cobh game at Whitehall in the First Division a couple of days before New Year back in the early 2000's.

Temperature was probably approaching minus 5 - and the attendance for this game?

25 (counted them all myself)

**L.T.F.C.** · 28/10/2010, 1:51 AM

Originally Posted by Réiteoir

I remember going to a Home Farm vs. Cobh game at Whitehall in the First Division a couple of days before New Year back in the early 2000's.

Temperature was probably approaching minus 5 - and the attendance for this game?

25 (counted them all myself)

Hardly giants of the game are they?

**OneRedArmy** · 28/10/2010, 5:36 AM

I defy someone to produce credible evidence that overall attendences either were better in the winter season or will improve in a winter season in the future.

Another panacea that avoids confronting the real issues.

**Macy** · 28/10/2010, 7:12 AM

You're all getting the argument the wrong way around. It's the proponants of summer football should be justifying why we should stick with a move that has failed. We should be looking at what were the measureable successes (short, medium and long term) of summer football.

The biggest gaff in LOI football history has already happened - the move to a summer season!

btw Did this really need another thread when there is already one that is largely concentrating on this issue. Is this the type of research that lead to the original switch?

**Aberdonian Stu** · 28/10/2010, 7:35 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

You're all getting the argument the wrong way around. It's the proponants of summer football should be justifying why we should stick with a move that has failed.

Actually I think the point earlier about how it's unclear if there's any difference in summer/winter Football is far more relevant a question. There hasn't been much, if any, evidence shown to say either has real benefits. We can all point to anecdotal stuff but seeing as no-one was accurately keeping track of crowds/other sources of income during the winter days and the differences in trends between winter and summer Football it's not really based on much.

Focusing on 'when we play' as opposed to pretty much every other area that needs addressing, or heaven forbid trying to plan for anything based on some actual research and thinking rather than guess-work, seems to be an area of lesser concern.

**D.24saint** · 28/10/2010, 7:41 AM

The biggest gaff in LOI football history has already happened - the move to a summer season!

wouldnt agree the introduction of the super monotonous ten team league was the biggest mistake the loi ever made we have played sligo rovers seven times (or will have) this season who but the hardcore fans wants to pays good money for that,plus many clubs priced the casual fan out of the game with the twenty quid madness that went through the league a few years back loyal fans will pay it but the casual punter that I have talked to found the idea of a twenty into a loi match ludicrous,imo going back to winter at this stage will do nothing but drive crowds further down.

**Charlie Darwin** · 28/10/2010, 7:49 AM

Originally Posted by Macy

You're all getting the argument the wrong way around. It's the proponants of summer football should be justifying why we should stick with a move that has failed. We should be looking at what were the measureable successes (short, medium and long term) of summer football.

The weather is better. Does there need to be another reason? The relative success or lack of success of the LOI has very little to do with the calendar and everything to do with nobody being interested.

**Spudulika** · 28/10/2010, 7:59 AM

Originally Posted by A face

Who is that anyway?

It was in the Star on Sunday - need I say more! Which is odd as he was one of the supporters of Summer football, up until 3 weeks ago!

I agree that the change wasn't the greatest gaffe in Irish football, plus that this is not going to solve the game's ills. However it is now down to the FAI to stand up and be counted and try to improve football in Ireland. It's nothing radical, just a bit of cop on.

**CuanaD** · 28/10/2010, 8:12 AM

For Winter football: the players can take holidays in the summer

For Summer football: I get to far more games in the Summer - I hate sitting in the freezing & wet watching a match in the winter & I won't go back to that.

So, winter football is for the players & their families, Summer football is for casual supporters like me who won't go to any match no matter what.