[bubbles]

Time for the sjfa to seriously look at summer football.. This perservering through the winter is now a joke and a switch should be considered at an agm if clubs wish it.. Junior football being constantly off in the winter is financially killing clubs.. No money , no crowds , no quality due to conditions... The big wigs should at least ask what clubs and supporters want and give it a go... Winters are now getting worse and every year its making the final run in a disaster for clubs to fit 6 months football into 3 or 4 ....nows the time for change.

[Clearviewoftheball]

Could not agree more, the regional associations could even put in a 2/3 week break for clubs who complain that they are left shorthanded by fixed holidays.

Although we have seen some extreme and unusual weather in "spring / summer" months as well any games lost could be far easier caught up with by the odd midweek. I really do not see the problem with a change to this seasonal play.

It is time for the heel draggers to realise we are in danger of losing the game and any supporters it has left if we do not accomodate them. Freezing conditions when games are on from November thru to March usually and then the countless postponements inevitably the punters will find something else to do with their winter Saturdays, definately a motion required for the a g m from some forward thinking club.

Loss of revenue must affect all clubs, those who pay their players reasonably still need to find wages, those who are not so well off as to be able to pay much will still need to find alternative training facillities etc and will have bills to pay without the income they would get through gates, programmes, pie stalls, raffles, sponsors etc.

I am all for trying this what can there be to lose?

[tinto]

Could not agree with you more Bubbles !.
Last season the club which I am involved in (Benburb) lost 3 months without a match due to the weather. This season a month will soon be lost. Two seasons ago many matches were lost due to the weather and the pattern has existed for a long while. There are several people on the periphery of the Bens asking why are so many games getting postponed it hurts the club badly having no income.
Most polls in the years past have shown a two thirds majority in favour of avoiding playing in the three mid winter months. The situation was so bad with postponements that the SJFA very kindly donated £1,000 to help out all the clubs. The SJFA say that the change must be driven by the clubs themselves; they must put forward the motions. At this point everything stops and we go on with another season of weather related postponements.

Tinto.

[Clearviewoftheball]

tinto, on 17 December 2011 - 11:53, said:

Could not agree with you more Bubbles !.
Last season the club which I am involved in (Benburb) lost 3 months without a match due to the weather. This season a month will soon be lost. Two seasons ago many matches were lost due to the weather and the pattern has existed for a long while. There are several people on the periphery of the Bens asking why are so many games getting postponed it hurts the club badly having no income.
Most polls in the years past have shown a two thirds majority in favour of avoiding playing in the three mid winter months. The situation was so bad with postponements that the SJFA very kindly donated £1,000 to help out all the clubs. The SJFA say that the change must be driven by the clubs themselves; they must put forward the motions. At this point everything stops and we go on with another season of weather related postponements.

Tinto.

Well spoken Tinto there is obviously support for this, all it needs is for a few forward thinking clubs (hopefully a couple of bigger names) and a bit of lobbying to put this to the vote, I would expect anybody that has no personal interest in other summer pursuits would support this. I am not attached to any club as you are therefor cannot influence this but perhaps people like you can.

Good Luck with this.

[HibeeJibee]

Clubs staunchly refuse to even tinker with the schedule of the Junior Cup to keep it out of mid-winter... play on September holiday weekends... or use floodlights from January to early April to help clear backlogs. The idea they'll vote for summer football is ridiculous.

There's so many practical and logistical problems with summer football anyway that make it, in general terms, prettymuch unworkable.

[bubbles]

I started this post delibertly so people who are in authority can sit down and take it in... These big wigs that sit on the commitee of the sjfa. Need to hear... How long must this go on every year with games being put off and clubs suffering... Even wen the games are on in the winter it is a farce due to conditions for players and supporters... Clubs lose out on programs being made ,pies being bought and non support.... Then its a rush to get games in with 3 a week that kills players and supporters cant afford... Now is the time for a reality check in junior football.. BEFORE iTS TO LATE ..

[Larky55]

Don't see as many problems as you are making out H J. But I don't mind it the way it is.
I have my own personal winter shut down in December & January but if it's nice I go to a game. However I prefer the games in the better weather. The rains warmer.

This post has been edited by Larky55: 17 December 2011 - 12:15

[HibeeJibee]

bubbles, on 17 December 2011 - 12:12, said:

I started this post delibertly so people who are in authority can sit down and take it in... These big wigs that sit on the commitee of the sjfa. Need to hear... How long must this go on every year with games being put off and clubs suffering... Even wen the games are on in the winter it is a farce due to conditions for players and supporters... Clubs lose out on programs being made ,pies being bought and non support.... Then its a rush to get games in with 3 a week that kills players and supporters cant afford... Now is the time for a reality check in junior football.. BEFORE iTS TO LATE ..

"Bigwigs on the committee of the SJFA" don't decide though, do they? Clubs decide, and it's clubs who in recent years have (for example) voted against changing 2pm kick-offs; voted against ending 2 September holiday weekends; and have shown such little desire to help backlogs that 1 Junior game (at Hermes) was midweek played under floodlights in the first ~14 weeks of last season.


Many will just be happy with tradition and how its aye been.

Many more won't want to play through the summer... clashing with the main holiday season; clashing with alternative leisure pursuits; some clubs having to resign due to their pitches being closed?

Others don't want to have pre-season in February, or see the season abandoned (or dragged-on right through the winter into the next spring) if the autumn is wet, or get out-of-kilter with the traditional signing periods in the rest of the game.

Others still don't want to enter the Scottish Cup 10 months after qualifying, or have play for 2 years solid if you reach the hallowed R4.


Assumption is always that summer football is only positive, and it's only hierarchy fuddy-duddies stopping it happening.

That's nonsense... if it's the way forward, it needs 109 clubs or whatever the super-majority is to vote "yes", end-of-story.

Larky55, on 17 December 2011 - 12:14, said:

Don't see as many problems as you are making out H J. But I don't mind it the way it is.
I have my own personal winter shut down in December & January but if it's nice I go to a game. However I prefer the games in the better weather. The rains warmer.

It's a lovely bright day, crisp but not cold, in the Borders currently and I'll be off to Berwick v Alloa later. From a personal perspective, yet another reason against universal summer football* is a personal one... there's least to do during winter-time, and without football each Saturday, it'd be a more boring time.

* it won't happen at Senior level but I'm speaking hypothetically

This post has been edited by HibeeJibee: 17 December 2011 - 12:28

[KirkyRobRoy]

Summer football thread, how i've missed you....

http://www.pieandbov..._1#entry5605375

[fms]

bubbles, on 17 December 2011 - 10:35, said:

Time for the sjfa to seriously look at summer football.. This perservering through the winter is now a joke and a switch should be considered at an agm if clubs wish it.. Junior football being constantly off in the winter is financially killing clubs.. No money , no crowds , no quality due to conditions... The big wigs should at least ask what clubs and supporters want and give it a go... Winters are now getting worse and every year its making the final run in a disaster for clubs to fit 6 months football into 3 or 4 ....nows the time for change.

Feeling it's a complete waste of time discussing this, since nothing at all is coming out from Hampden despite Tom Johnston's statement last season that SUMMER FOOTBALL would have to be considered.
Don't put all the blame on the secretary though. The agm this season and 2010 was run through in a combined time of around an hour and a half. That means that delegates from ALL the junior clubs in Scotland did not consider Summer Football worth raising. So they are all to blame for the apathy that exists allowing things to meander on season after season just the dame incompetent way they have always done.
The lack of thought about the right kind of publicity for sponsors, with 7-oo am draws in Glasgow and that duff real radio has already been aired. Remember Whyte Mackay in the West who got sickened?

The facts are that everything is just tickity boo the way it is so don't bother the leaders. If you all sit on yer backsides just anxious for the buffet to open at the agm what else do you expect?

Time for change at the top? Doubt it, as there is no one on the horizon pushing an agenda that includes any of the moans that clubs share with one and other weekly.

This post has been edited by fms: 17 December 2011 - 13:03

[Fisherman]

The whole of Scottish football needs summer football, from the spl all the way down. look at the crowd for St. Johnstone Aberdeen the other night-joke. How can you compete with champions league etc on the tele in this weather. Soccer saturday is more tempting than freezing your baws off in the middle of winter.

Give me nice evenings in june/July/Aug any day.

[Deanburn Dave]

Expect the usual responses of:-
Tradition
Summer holidays
Summer sports i.e. Golf
Hard pitches

Ignore the dinosaurs.....Give me summer fitbae any time.

[Chee Force]

bubbles, on 17 December 2011 - 10:35, said:

Time for the sjfa to seriously look at summer football.. This perservering through the winter is now a joke and a switch should be considered at an agm if clubs wish it.. Junior football being constantly off in the winter is financially killing clubs.. No money , no crowds , no quality due to conditions... The big wigs should at least ask what clubs and supporters want and give it a go... Winters are now getting worse and every year its making the final run in a disaster for clubs to fit 6 months football into 3 or 4 ....nows the time for change.

Good shout bring it on.

[Mr Tee]

Absolutely. But it wont heppen cos Scotland is scared of change.

[Meddaheroes1973]

Without a doubt,wud hav a massive positive impact on the whole of Scottish football. Wud like 2c the juniors be progressive and take the lead on this but thatz prob just bein silly coz the blazers don't appear interested in the fans or the good of the game.

[HibeeJibee]

Fisherman, on 17 December 2011 - 13:06, said:

The whole of Scottish football needs summer football, from the spl all the way down. look at the crowd for St. Johnstone Aberdeen the other night-joke. How can you compete with champions league etc on the tele in this weather.

At SPL level the season would've run January 15th to December 10th... and since Dunfermline v Killie was fogged-off it'd likely have been postponed to this Saturday... so that game could've happened anyway.

That's one of the problems which makes it a non-starter at SPL level, and due to promotion-n-relegation, one of the factors making it a non-starter at SFL level too.

[HibeeJibee]

Could a mod merge the 2 threads, btw?

[Mr Tee]

Right on Q , mr negative we cant do anything just cos has joined the conversation. And dont give me your 'its idealist wont happen'.

We should MAKE summer football happen no matter what the problems are.

[HibeeJibee]

Mr Tee, on 17 December 2011 - 13:56, said:

Right on Q , mr negative we cant do anything just cos has joined the conversation. And dont give me your 'its idealist wont happen'.

We should MAKE summer football happen no matter what the problems are.

And equally right on cue, the first of the responses which will dodge providing solutions to the problems, and just say "we shud dae it ken". If you can solve all the problems in a viable manner, than it's fine, problems solved... then get clubs voting "yes".

This thread comes-up every year... and every year it ends a stalemate between the problems/negatives, and those posters in favour who can't/won't resolve them.

[AlanCamelonfan]

I think if we go to summer football the games would realy need to be played on a Friday night at the top level because people would just do other things for similar reasons in winter their is something better to do. In the winter its because its cold and you can just watch soccer Saturday in the summer saturday afternoon at the park with the kids or picnics or a day out in Callendar.

Alan

HibeeJibee, on 17 December 2011 - 14:10, said:

And equally right on cue, the first of the responses which will dodge providing solutions to the problems, and just say "we shud dae it ken". If you can solve all the problems in a viable manner, than it's fine, problems solved... then get clubs voting "yes".

This thread comes-up every year... and every year it ends a stalemate between the problems/negatives, and those posters in favour who can't/won't resolve them.

[The Old Northerner]

bubbles, on 17 December 2011 - 10:35, said:

Junior football being constantly off in the winter is financially killing clubs..

How many clubs do you know of who have folded because of bad winters?

[aidan-bufc]

I think an earlier start to the season with a winter break would be a lot easier.

[AlanCamelonfan]

aidan-bufc, on 17 December 2011 - 14:32, said:

I think an earlier start to the season with a winter break would be a lot easier.

or dingying the league cup.

[SV001]

The Old Northerner, on 17 December 2011 - 14:24, said:

How many clubs do you know of who have folded because of bad winters?

I think that there are a lot of positives and negatives for summer football, we ourselves would be unable to play due to summer maintenance on a council park and I would also think it would be difficult for players who have families, jobs and the summer holiday period extremley difficult. On the other hand if you look at Carluke this year they have been very consistant, this is the first week that a game has been cancelled at the new John cumming Stadium, and I beleive they have bennifited from consistency. I also have a personnal opinion that the 3g / 4g surfaces are perfect for junior football and clubs need to look at investment or funding to develop more of this for the benefit of both clubs and the junior game.

The 3g and 4g is also another debate, what do others think?

I

[aidan-bufc]

AlanCamelonfan, on 17 December 2011 - 14:34, said:

or dingying the league cup.

Yeah, but i think that will only happen if the number of teams in the league increase.