Posted on Monday, 14th March 2011 by Oz Chris
Hampden finals while enjoying an ‘Indian Summer’. Saturday league games to take place on a pleasant sunny afternoon, midweek evening games you can head for a beer garden when you finish work and then enjoy a visit to Paradise where your scarf is nothing more than an accessory as opposed to a necessity. The soft shoe brigade form the local bowls club wishing they could host a game on the playing surface of the football field. It really is a fantasy or is it?
This season we have seen snow from early November and now we are into March it’s still falling. So at least that puts the argument of a winter break to bed as there is really no good time to have it. Now I know the detractors for summer football will argue that it doesn’t fit with International and Champions League games, the romantics just don’t like change and Scottish weather being what it is you wouldn’t be surprised for games to be cancelled due to inclement weather in July. But surely we can’t go on the way we are, how many more years must we put up with ‘the shame’ getting their fixture congestion excuses in before New Year.
As for International football how many of us really care and is it really of any great significance to anyone outside of the media and those north of the Great Glen, even the World Cup last year I lost interest after the first few games. In the Champions League, the gap between ourselves and the best in Europe is getting wider with every game we play, currently even to reach the last sixteen would require a small miracle. As for the weather argument, yes the odd game would get cancelled but overall you would not see the sort of fixture congestion currently being shown. It also seems Strathclyde’s finest are going to have a major say in when games get played whether we like it or not. If you think they moan now due to lack of resources, can you imagine the noise they would make when they have to cover the Orange Walks that take place every summer weekend followed by a football game. I suppose the upside to that would be the Follow Follow brigade would become Follow the Gers or Follow the Walk.
Despite all the negatives against the summer game, there is one over riding positive. With the better fields to play on, yes, even Fir Park might become playable, the quality of the game can do nothing but improve. The most important impact would be at youth level. I have never seen the sports centre at Toryglen as I have not been in Glasgow for over five years now, however I am told it is fantastic and we need millions of pounds for replicas all over Scotland should we wish to produce a quantity of quality football players. A change to the summer game would negate the millions.
In Scotland I coached youth teams who played on a Saturday morning, I can count on one hand the amount of good quality playing fields. Here in Oz having reached the dizzy heights of coaching part time pro’s, I am again back coaching the youths. The worst council owned field they play on is better than the best one in Scotland. Yes the weather has a lot to do with that but it’s not an excuse if you train and play between March and September. The main difference in coaching is I can get players on a grass park in the evening and let them train on something similar to what they play on. No matter how hard you try you can not replicate what happens on a football field indoors on a wooden floor.
At the turn of the Millennium, Australia’s Fifa ranking was 89th and football was a second rate sport played by and I quote the great Johnny Warren, “Sheila’s, Wogs and Poofters”. The introduction of decent coaching on decent pitches has improved the level at grass roots and already Australia is producing some reasonable young professional’s in the A League and the knock on effect with the national team has them ranked 21st. They also now have more registered soccer players than all the other football codes put together. Believe it or not kids will put down that Playstation remote as long as they don’t have to go out and run about in the sleet and snow.
I miss two things about Scotland, my parents and going to Celtic park, you just can’t beat that feeling watching the hoops, however you can improve it. I currently watch Gold Coast United and at best I think they are boring (I cant use any stronger words as I know two of their players) but I still go because I don’t have to sit in the freezing cold. Its not that much of an effort to go despite their performances and in the Pub v Game battle the pub has never won.
With so many spare seats these days I also feel summer football is a perfect opportunity to get our next generation to the games. No more moaning Mrs, sorry a less moaning Mrs, worrying about her precious baby freezing to death at a football game and as for keeping them out too late at the evening games who cares as there would be no school the following day.
So with all that said, if the club are not going to manage an exit from the Scottish League set up, summer football should at least be considered seriously. However, if radical change is changing to a 12 team set up, I wont hold my breath.
Till next week and hopefully the 1st trophy of the season
KTF
Oz Chris (twitter @cmcmon and for podcast and website updates @TheLostBhoys)
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Posted in Oz Chris | Comments (5)
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March 14th, 2011 at 10:19 am
Well, a non starter, even the Russian football league is changing to an August to May fixture setup to be in tune with the rest of Europe, so if we want to fall even further behind the Europeans then bring it on.
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March 14th, 2011 at 10:37 am
I’ve played at Toryglen – both outdoors in a full game and indoors on a quarter of the full size pitch in there for a few games of 7-a-side. The facilities are fantastic.
But what really impresses me is how far plastic pitches have come. The one indoors at Toryglen may as well be grass. I think the SPL needs to revisit the plastic pitch concept. It’s not going to solve the problem of being in a freezing cold stadium, but it should sort the problems of waterlogging and playing on sand.
And lets face it, the SPL have never cared about the fans anyway.
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March 14th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Couldn’t agree with you more Chris. I would always have said no to summer football until I moved to Ireland 5 years ago. It’s the way forward in my opinion.
No I can’t believe we play football when the weather and pitches are at the worst, makes no sense. With the winters only predicted to get harsher as the years go by something has to be done. How many times have fans from Ireland and down south been left out of pocket because of booked flights?
As for Europe it can only help. Irish clubs in recent years have seen an improvement it their showings since moving to summer football. You know playing in Europe when the season is on and no 3 weeks before the season starts. Of course being in competitions beyond Christmas is a factor but then thats a bonus these days. Rather play a couple of ties past Christmas pre-season that be pumped out the qualifiers pre-season.
There are only positives from my experiences in Ireland and I can see no genuine negatives.
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March 14th, 2011 at 10:33 pm
My dad is in his 80′s, he is quite a stubborn guy. He only eats dinners such as Steak & chips and Mince and Potatoes. Wouldn’t even consider Italian, Chinese or Indian.
One evening he was given Bolognese and wasn’t told what he was eating. He complimented the food.
Its amazing what you will like if you try it
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Harper Reply:
March 15th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
I refuse to eat tomatoes the fruit of the devil
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