Gordon Smith is trying yet again to raise the question of a two month winter break.
His vision is for a total shut down in December and January and a one month break in July.
Can't say it appeals very much to me and I suspect it would be detrimental to football income.There are a lot more counter attractions in the summer months.

I fundamentally don't agree with him. A two month break is farcical, you may as well have separate "seasons" and any less runs the risk of sitting idle through the decent weather and returning to unplayable pitches whatever two months you pick.

Football is an autumn / winter / spring sport and should stay that way.

The only reason there's any great fuss is this ridiculous split the SPL have that means they want all the games in hand caught up before then (don't know why, Celtic & Rangers will both be top half and Gretna and St Mirren will both be bottom half, none of those games will affect the teams on the cusp). If they were using a full season into May there would be no great panic to get their games played.

No, we don't need a winter shut down. For a start, there's no guarantees of the worst weather falling within the shut down, and if doesn't we've given ourselves less leeway. Summer's the time for team building, friendlies, and for some holiday.

What we need to do is get the postponement of games sorted out. That may mean the early (and precautionary) calling off of more games, but we can live with that. And it means getting out of this growing mindset that midweek games are a bad thing. We can live with them, they're not such a bad thing, and we should take the opportunity to market them well to get more 'occasional' fans along to our clubs, and hopefully hooked.

I like midweek games too, but part-time teams have some issues with them for player availability.

I'm initially opposed to Smith's plan as well, but I'd like to see the detail.

General Nonsense for this pish.

I'm all for a winter break, but I think 2 months is way too long for it. I would suggest a month, from mid December till mid January which gives players/fans the chance to spend time with their families, while also giving pitches a much-needed break. The you just extend the season till the end of May and bingo.

edit

You would then have approximately 4 weeks off before the start of pre-season training at the end of June/start of July. It all sounds so simple when you look at it this way.

If there was only a one month break in July, when would we have pre-season training and friendlies? Or is he suggesting that we dont bother with that anymore and just go straight into the season?

A break midway through the season is the second worst idea anyone ever came up with for Scottish football

SPL2?

I'd go for the SPL mid-season split as number one. Though there's a fair few contenders.

Click to view attachment Games in freezing conditions, countless postponements, fixture backlogs, treacherous travelling conditions. Absolute buffoonery.

Well done - go take a well earned winter break

I've always been in favour of a winter shutdown, whether it's a break, or in the form of the season following the calendar year (with a short summer break).

Our climate conditions simply don't allow the game to be played through the winter months. The only sensible answer to that problem, if you want to play through the winter, is artificial surfaces.

I don't know about a fixed two-month shutdown, but the general principle advanced by Gordon Smith is correct.

Has Gordon Smith EVER got anything right?

Even when he's bending over backwards moving games to suit Rangers, it backfires.

Is changing the season part of his proposal? If you were having such a long break it would make more sense to do it that way. It would create quite a few practical problems with regards to the changeover, but nothing insurmountable if there was a will. Rugby League managed it a few years ago.

I'd still be against it, I think, but it's an interesting enough idea to let someone put togther a workable proposal for consideration.

No point in having a break when you don't know when the weather is going to be at it's worst and we all know that the SPL teams will all be off playing friendlies in Botswana etc.

Time Waste Of.

Well they've managed fairly successfully for over 100 years and winters aren't as harsh as they used to be.

How many games have actually been off this season so far? Not many, particularly not many at grounds that have any form of surface protection. Relatively cheap covers would ensure the vast majority of games go ahead.

Having 2 breaks in the year is daft, certainly the way it is being proposed. To only have one month between the end and start of seasons is ridiculous, how are teams going to get prepared for the new season in that time? And also what happens when we sit out through playable weather in December and January ten get the first big snowfall in February and have to call games off.

For me its either keep it the way it is, or completely change it so the close season is during the winter and play right through the summer. I'd still probably go with the former though.

i'm looking forward to when he gets botox to go along with his hair dye and toupee.

March-October league, sunshine, sloppy joes, sunburn, sandals,inevitable.

If we just buried some nuclear waste under a few of the pitches without undersoil heating, that should do the trick. I think the government's keen to find places to put it. And it's free.

If I didn't live so damned close, I'd be nominating New Broomfield first off.

A 2 month winter break? f**k that. If you're talking about a break at that time of year i'd say 2 weeks, and even thats pushing it a bit.

What are the clubs supposed to do for 2 months with absolutely no revenue from matches and bills to pay?

I don't know if you have noticed Gordon, but this isn't England. We don't have 10 Multi Billionaires for every 11 teams. We have what... 2? One of them doesn't want to put anymore money in, yet wants to build a 70,000 seater arena. And the other one... I don't even think he remembers he has money anymore.

Awah n shite.

I don't agree with the winter break for many reasons:

1- Gives us supporters nothing to do throughout the festive season.
2- If it was to happen and it was only a month break in the summer i am sure that players would rather play through the winter in order to get more time off in the summer although this is just my opinion.
3- The funds that will be coming in from the supporters will not be as much as people are off on holiday more during the summer and therefor the money earnings will decrease.
So.......
IMO i would rather it just stayed the way it is just now with NO winter break

Does anyone agree with me here?

Summer football is a great idea, I would willingly miss a world cup final to watch Raith play Brechin.

But it'd not be fair on Brechin for you to play them whilst all their internationalists were away representing their nations!?!

I don't think a decision on summer football would be something which the SFA or Gordon Smith could control. The SPL sell fixtures to Sky and Setanta, they are the ones who will determine if they want their summer schedule to include Scottish football, the SFA and leagues will fall into line with whatever their TV paymasters decide.

You didn't give me any change. Last time I buy a Big Issue off you.

The winter break is a big no no for me. Our weather is so unpredictable even if we had a break we would still end up with games being called off. For the pro teams they should not be worried about a fixture build up as two games in the same week should be ok for guys who are paid so much. Anyway for the amount of games that are actually called off at most clubs grounds.

If it does go ahead 2 months is far to long.

Given the porblems of rain protection etc, it isn't sensible to be relying on clement conditions in autumn and spring to play fixtures.
There's a greater chance of a White Easter than a White Christmas ffs.
Complete stupidity by a blithering idiot.

no sure if anybody has mentioned this but how many teams can afford 2 months without any income coming in................as im quite sure my team Dundee cant.

What income do you have from early May till the beginning of August?That's more than two months.

thats the point im making another 2 months without cash coming in could really cause teams bother...plus during the summer there is always a chance o a friendly or 2 to get some cash in....season ticket sales...new strips on sale.....what would there be during dec/jan to bring in cash.....NOTHING.

same amount of games = same income over a year no matter what months you play in.

aye i see what your saying but its just my opinion that a lot o clubs will struggle wi a 2 month shutdown.

You'd be playing in May,June and August.
The loss in income would come from possible reduced attendances in the summer months because of the competition from things like golf and annual holidays etc.