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We live in Scotland. Moving the football because the weather might be a bit warmer for a couple of weeks isn't the best idea. I fucking love football at Christmas time too, some of the best games I've been to have been around that time.

f**k summer football, f**k the BBC and f**k these fucking threads.

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The BBC have carried out a survey on whether or not Scottish football should move to being played in the summer. Of the 42 clubs asked 27 were in favour with only 7 against (8 did not reply).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33028189

So as fans what do we think?

The Scottish Football Supporters Association have already voiced their backing.

From what I can gather the arguments against seem to be by clubs with artificial pitches and part-time clubs who are worried about when their players can go on summer holidays. In no disrespect meant to them but if they are the only arguments being put up against a switch to summer football surely it has to be the way forward?

Thoughts?

The article says that clubs are in favour of further examining the possibility of a switch. That's not being in favour of a switch.

Generally proponents of summer football argue for a March-November season, as is mentioned in that article. Even if we ignore the practicalities of running a 36/38 game season plus three cup competitions and finding the available dates to play all those games - which is a significant argument against - March-November doesn't make any sense. In Scotland we routinely have games called off in October and November due to weather conditions. Currently that gives you several months of a season to replay these games: have a season finishing in November and you're having title/relegation deciders and cup finals called off. That would be ridiculous.

There has still never been a shred of evidence produced anywhere, ever, to show that attendances increase with summer football. There's a reason that so many in Ireland want to switch back. When are you more likely to attend a game of football: a cold January afternoon when you have no alternatives to football, or a warm July afternoon when you have countless cheaper alternatives to football? Summer football will make conditions better for fans who would be attending anyway, but it's not likely to encourage part-timers to become regular attendees: they have far more alternatives to spend their money on in summer

I'm all for considering changes which can benefit the game, but I've yet to see a single convincing argument for how this would improve Scottish football. It strikes me as change for changes sake, while there are multiple unanswered arguments against it: if anything, it's more likely to make Scottish football worse than improve it.

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Having the Scottish Cup Final on a freezing day in November is appalling. Not to mention people actually have things to do in the summer as well as having to actually remember a pair of sunglasses every week.

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The article says that clubs are in favour of further examining the possibility of a switch. That's not being in favour of a switch.

Generally proponents of summer football argue for a March-November season, as is mentioned in that article. Even if we ignore the practicalities of running a 36/38 game season plus three cup competitions and finding the available dates to play all those games - which is a significant argument against - March-November doesn't make any sense. In Scotland we routinely have games called off in October and November due to weather conditions. Currently that gives you several months of a season to replay these games: have a season finishing in November and you're having title/relegation deciders and cup finals called off. That would be ridiculous.

There has still never been a shred of evidence produced anywhere, ever, to show that attendances increase with summer football. There's a reason that so many in Ireland want to switch back. When are you more likely to attend a game of football: a cold January afternoon when you have no alternatives to football, or a warm July afternoon when you have countless cheaper alternatives to football? Summer football will make conditions better for fans who would be attending anyway, but it's not likely to encourage part-timers to become regular attendees: they have far more alternatives to spend their money on in summer

I'm all for considering changes which can benefit the game, but I've yet to see a single convincing argument for how this would improve Scottish football. It strikes me as change for changes sake, while there are multiple unanswered arguments against it: if anything, it's more likely to make Scottish football worse than improve it.

All of this really.

Talk of increased sponsorship and more fans attending is, at worst, pie in the sky nonsense, at best unsubstantiated guesswork

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Have to say I think the thought of watching football in any months other than in the cold and miserable months of December and January is a positive move for me. I can't remember the last time Rovers had a game called off in either October or November.

If not summer football then what? Football attendances are dwindling and no one can seem to agree what would and could help?

Oh and as for the matches argument and playing league and 3 cup competitions I think it's ridiculous, in a country of our size, than we have 3 anyway. The Ramsden Cup should be reduced to exclude Championship teams. Who really cares about it anyway other than when you get to beat Sevco. And we don't need both a Scottish and a League cup. What other country of our size tries to play the amount of games in a season that we do?

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Positives and negatives with a move to summer football.

The positives may be increased sponsorship and media revenues, With less competition from other sports and broadcasters keen to fill schedules, theres a financial case to be made for switching. It may bring more money into the game.

The negatives? Are we likely to get more fans through the gates? I don't believe that the weather on a dull November afternoon is the big reason that folk don't go to football matches. We'd be potentially just as likely to lose fans who golf or bowl during the summer. Then there's the issue of summer holidays for players as well as fans. Do you tell players that they can't get a summer holiday with their wife and kids because we've moved football to a summer game? Do you write off the fixtures where fans are likely to be on holiday?

There are just too many problems for me to back a switch to summer football. Clubs at the top end of Scottish football could possibly afford to travel for friendlies against teams who have a winter break in their league. For those that cant, the prospect of having pre-season training in winter when facilities are in a poor state negates the benefit of having better pitches during the season. Then there's the pressure on players to not spend time with their kids during the summer and to not get a summer holiday with the family. Same goes for fans.

Watching a game in the sunshine is one of those fantastically enjoyable parts of the early, or late, season where you can relax and enjoy the nice weather in May or August. But for me thats probably where it should stay - an enjoyable game or two. There are far bigger issues in getting fans to games than the winter weather and theres problems for clubs and players that summer football would cause. It isnt a guarantee of bumper crowds, pristine pitches and silkier football.

Too many problems with the practicalities of summer football for me. We'd be better served trying to market our game better and to give people a reason to go to a Scottish football game.

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If not summer football then what? Football attendances are dwindling and no one can seem to agree what would and could help?

Attendances are dwindling for Celtic and Rangers. They're increasing amongst the other 40 clubs - the ones who actually matter.

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I think changes have to be made in Scottish football, however this isn't one of them. Sugarcoat it all you like, it comes across as amateur, further driving us away from "the big leagues", which while no one is arguing we're amongst, it's still nice to pretend.

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Summer football is the best way to improve Scottish football yet (judging by the poll) fans are against this whilst probably believing shite idea's like selling alcohol and standing area's are the answer. :(

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Summer football is the best way to improve Scottish football yet (judging by the poll) fans are against this whilst probably believing shite idea's like selling alcohol and standing area's are the answer. :(

Please provide some evidence for this arbitrary statement that "summer football is the best way to improve Scottish football"?

Hopefully it will be a cold day in Hell before alcohol is sold in grounds during games again and I doubt safe standing has any significant relevance to anything at all.

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Please provide some evidence for this arbitrary statement that "summer football is the best way to improve Scottish football"?

Well, what match is likely to have the best football?.... The wet and windy Wednesday in Inverness or a warm sunny day at Ibrox?..

Tickets sales would likely increase also, meaning clubs could afford a better quality of player.

Scottish clubs would also be more prepared for European qualifiers which could bring in yet more money.

Training sessions would potentially be more productive which could enhance a players ability and the teams style of play.

If there's a better argument in regards to how football can be improved in Scotland I've yet to hear it.

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If there's a better argument in regards to how football can be improved in Scotland I've yet to hear it.

Well we could bin all the morons that tout summer football as a workable solution when it's been shown on many occasions (and even described on this very thread by Dunning) that it really isn't, that would be a start to improving the game.

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