So it sounds like a winter break is very much on the agenda for 2019/20 onwards, once the new TV deal kicks in. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42954835 I wasn’t in favour of the idea when we were in the Championship. But once you get to this level and hang around for a bit you see it probably is needed. Injuries aside, the intensity and quality of matches dips quite a lot through the period from the game just before Christmas through to the end of January. It’ll be difficult to shoe horn in I guess. Ideally I think the Christmas period has to remain as intact as possible. Maybe drop one of the four fixtures that normally ends up being played on 23/26/28 and 31 December. Have a break from after FA Cup 3rd Round weekend through to the last weekend in January (when potentially FA Cup 4th Round can be kept). All in all that would probably mean an early August start and more evening games either side of the break to fit in the fixtures. Not bad outcomes.
If they would ditch the EFL cup, it doesn't make much money for the smaller clubs anyway, then there would be some additional midweeks in the Autumn to counter the lost weekends from January.
As a cricket fan, I don't like an earlier start in the summer. Just doesn't feel right. More evening games is a good thing though.
It’s fitting the mid week games in that is difficult. Carling Cup, FA cup replays and the fact that we have 6 teams in Europe probably means that Moaninho will still bleat about fixture congestion but at a different time of the year
Winter breaks are touted just for more commercial gain, every single Prem club will jet off for a lucrative mini tour and in most cases to the other side of the world.
Sounds like they are talking about having the winter break in February around FA Cup 5th round time. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43215246
I do like the idea of staggering it over two weekends so that every team gets a two week break but there isn't a weekend that's completely football free. No doubt the TV companies were responsible for this.
Not happy about the scrapping of FA cup replays though! The FA Cup is already being devalued in many ways, this idea could reduce it to the level of the League Cup. It could be the final nail in the coffin of the magic of the FA Cup, especially for the football minows. Lest we forget we were one of those minows in the no so distant past.
Wonder how many teams will shoot off for warm weather training and squeeze a cheeky “training match” in?
It's only the 5th Round replays proposed to go isn't it? I'm not sure many minnows will be greatly affected by that - maybe one every other season? Any financial could easily be sorted by boosting the prize money I think.
With the ever screwed up weather each year - Snow in March? Then yes I am in favour of it in general. It would give players a rest I am sure FIFA are more than capable of sorting something out to squeeze in the movement of fixtures this would make. As for the FA Cup it's more of draw than the awful league Cup. Getting rid of it would probably be the best thing that happened since Luton got relegated to the football Conference that season.
One positive about this, I suppose, is that there will be a bit more balance in terms of midweek games. A lot of clubs have congested season-ends due to postponements, especially due to adverse weather. If more clubs (or all of them) possibly play a similar schedule then it makes it all a bit fairer.
Unfortunately you could have a reasonably mild January where the winter break takes a couple of weekends out only to have arctic conditions throughout February and wiping out many fixtures, that will only increase the backlog.
Winter break to come in 2020 - mid February. 10 teams will get 13 days off starting one week - the other 10 the week after. No doubt that will lead to complaints from clubs claiming unfairness! https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/04/17/winter-break-finally-coming-english-football-2019-20-season/
Hmm, the cricket season now finishes in late Sept so this is a marginal change. It’s the twenty first century, get used to it! (In a Partridge voice.)
How do you fancy this 100 ball concept, Keiths? Obviates the tedious longueurs of the T20 format. I’m all in.
I’m really hoping Wycombe do get promoted, partly out of faith in the Bucks - Beds = zero equation. I’m from just over the good border. Btw, liking the new moniker. Freshens the place up. Still not acclimatised to GD’s dog picture.
Crazy esp with the long last over . How will bowlers stats be presented ? If they wanted 100 balls, go to 10 overs of 10 balls. 5 bowlers, 2 overs each. Less lost time between overs too. Simples.
Maybe one long 100 ball over. Combines 21st century's limited attention span & its craving for self validation through endurance performance.