Summer Soccer feature on Sky News Ireland

**Réiteoir** · 29/09/2006, 5:59 PM

Just seen this on SN Ireland - not a bad little piece on the recent successes in Europe and the attributation of this to the switch to summer soccer.

A few interviews done with a couple of managers (Fenlon) and a journo (Stephen Finn iirc) advocating the positives to the switch.

Then we get one manager saying the switch hasn't had any benefit whatsoever and we should go back to the dark days of winter

That manager?

Alan Matthews

**A face** · 29/09/2006, 9:34 PM

Originally Posted by Réiteoir

That manager?

Alan Matthews

He is looking like a clown now the way he is going, would he ever give over for gods sake.

**dcfcsteve** · 29/09/2006, 9:38 PM

Is this repeated at any time ?

**LeixlipRed** · 29/09/2006, 10:11 PM

Matthews has some valid points. How is he looking like a clown? Of course, he'd love a return to hoofball pitches as it'd suit his coaching methods but some of the financial points to his argument do have relevance. To just dismiss him as being a clown is a bit silly I think

**Billy Lord** · 30/09/2006, 1:09 AM

What were his financial points? And how are they weather-related?
The EL in summer is a better option than in the winter (the weather's better for a start), so can he rationally explain why we should revert back to winter?

**pete** · 30/09/2006, 10:31 AM

Originally Posted by LeixlipRed

Matthews has some valid points. How is he looking like a clown? Of course, he'd love a return to hoofball pitches as it'd suit his coaching methods but some of the financial points to his argument do have relevance. To just dismiss him as being a clown is a bit silly I think

OK so mud suits hoofball.
If Longford were winning games their attendances would be up. Was Matthews complaining about summer football when he was winning Cups.

Some people think that summer football have given eL sides an advantage in europe whereas usually it only levels the contest as most teams we play also have a summer season.

**A face** · 30/09/2006, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by LeixlipRed

Matthews has some valid points. How is he looking like a clown? Of course, he'd love a return to hoofball pitches as it'd suit his coaching methods but some of the financial points to his argument do have relevance. To just dismiss him as being a clown is a bit silly I think

Alan 'Yitzak' Matthews has never ever presented his argument properly on this. Even if we were all to disagree with him, he should still at least list reasons why we should revert. It is completely mad hair-brained idea what he is suggesting.

**dcfcsteve** · 30/09/2006, 5:19 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Some people think that summer football have given eL sides an advantage in europe whereas usually it only levels the contest as most teams we play also have a summer season.

It does more than level the contest - it actually appears to have tipped it in our favour.

Hence we're now beating Scandinavian teams with Summer leagues, which we weren't doing before (Helsinki, Goteborg, Malmo, Djurgardens, almost Start)

And it gives us a much greater advantage when we meet teams without a Summer season (Gretna, PSG, Limassol ).