Junior Football needs to evolve or it will die

[santheman]

Good post.

In terms of artificial pitches 2 problems we are considering

Getting the finance to install one in the first place (unless you are playing on a council owned one). Either you need to win the lottery or go down the Community club route to access grants which we are in the process of doing.

Then in 15 years or so when the surface needs replaced would further grants be available or will clubs be left facing a nightmare.

We've been told it would cost a minimun of 150k at this moment in time just to install a new surface so if one had heen installed 15 yrs ago and now needed replaced we would have had to earn an average of 10k a year in rental income.Who knows how much that figure would be in another 15 years

Not saying it couldnt be done but a massive commitment for any club who own their own ground

[F_T_Y]

Summer football is the only option, winters are predicted to get wetter in future years so the problem is only going to get worse.

Play March to October, would allow teams to play midweek games in the better light.

Scrap replays in the junior cup would free up some more time aswell.

[Roy Race]

Yes the cost of artificial pitches are horribly overpriced and the realistic chances of every club at every level being able to afford one is quite low, its a huge outlay and very much impossible for many if not most clubs to privately fund. This brings me back to the question of what constitutes a playable or unplayable pitch. Certain factors like a hard, frozen pitch is a no brainer with regards to causing injury to players, but games are being cancelled due to pitches being very wet and a bit cut up in places, and this is classified as the pitch being waterlogged???? I'm sorry but this just seems way to strict. I know refs are under huge scrutiny nowadays and don't fancy being called up or being faced with any legal liability should an injury occur and result in a claim etc. At the end of the day however, injuries can happen on perfectly good pitches that are bowling green standard, alot of injuries have nothing to do with the pitch conditions. So do we require a review of this area of the game?, perhaps clubs writing to SJFA and asking if this can be a topic discussed at their next general meeting? It's maybe something that needs to be looked at pretty urgently because the amount of games off is getting to the ridiculous stage and clubs are losing money big time and fans are getting pissed off with it.

[Roy Race]

With regards to summer football, has this ever been proposed or considered by the SJFA? Has the member clubs ever been consulted on this idea or have they ever voted on this? Personally I like my football in the winter, but we have to be realistic with ever wetter Seasons, I certainly wouldn't be against a trial period, but would like to hear others views on this. Would the summer months pull in better crowds versus folk being away on holiday. I suppose we will never clear up any pros and cons until it's actually trialled. But as in previous post first of all iwould rather see a review of pitch inspection procedures and some common sense prevailing, after all it is Junior football not the champions league or FA Cup final.As a fan I just want to see a game of baw on a regular basis. At the moment it's very very frustrating. I had 4 game options today to go to, all cancelled, it fucks your Saturday up no end.

[db11]

Playing through the whole summer wouldn't be required. Bonnyrigg ( as an example) have played 6 games since the start of December.

This could be done in 3 weeks in the summer rather than 3 months in the winter.

[Burnie_man]

Play less or no football in January/February and play more football in July (start season earlier) and June (finish season later). Start the Junior Cup in August.

[Roy Race]

I read the secret footballer blog on juniors.info and he makes a good case for a change to the timings of the season. But I would like to hear some constructive objections to the "summer football" idea, ie financial implications, logistical problems etc. Would be good to hear from not only fans, but other players and committee folk etc

[Roy Race]

Or if this has been discussed before on a previous thread can someone please direct me to it, and I will piss off, leave you all alone and read it myself ha ha

[db11]

I for one would welcome summer fitbaw. More enjoyable watching in shorts and teeshirt than all the winter gear.

Currently junior footbllers start preseason for a month at the start ofJuly. Then play Aug till late may and have June off.

How many gameshave your team played since start of December? Bonnyrigg have played 6. This could be played in three weeks in April- August

rather 3 months through the winter.

There will be a lot of teams who have played fewer games through the winter.

Crowds are bound to be lot less on shitty days like today, because of the weather rather than summer days, even if midweek.

[HTG]

Or if this has been discussed before on a previous thread can someone please direct me to it, and I will piss off, leave you all alone and read it myself ha ha

Don't have the link but there are half a dozen or more threads on it.

[Mine Man]

Play less or no football in January/February and play more football in July (start season earlier) and June (finish season later). Start the Junior Cup in August.

Agree, shut the leagues down in winter, play more when the senior leagues are not and reep the benefit financially.The SJFA need to to think out the box or does the game continue in the same way for the next 20 years without change?

[Roy Race]

Well that's exactly it, I don't think the game can be sustainable in the current format for even the next 5-10 years, something has got to give, whether the beaks like it or not. At the end of the day, its not their game, its ours.

[cmontheloknow]

A shorter season = more midweek games.

Statistically speaking, more midweek games = smaller crowds.

Smaller crowds = potential less revenue.

Potential less revenue = lack of support for change.

[Shanner]

This is probably the season that broke me. I'm now irreversibly sick to the tits with planning to go to games every week only to be sitting on a Saturday morning looking at this forum waiting for the inevitable call off.

Junior football has to realise it's in competition for your time and your money so it's unwise to continually let people down, but despite having repeatedly shown that an unbroken, uncongested season can't be managed due to the weather we persist with a failing, shambolic model.

Get the games played at the times of year when they CAN be played and get floodlights in for all competitions wherever clubs can afford them. That would be a start.

[Fife Journeyman]

A shorter season = more midweek games.

Statistically speaking, more midweek games = smaller crowds.

Smaller crowds = potential less revenue.

Potential less revenue = lack of support for change.

You dont have too have any more midweek games than you currently have.

It cant be good for clubs and especially players playing Sat-Mon-Wed-Sat for 3/4 weeks which some teams have had to do in recent seasons

[Roy Race]

Great post , I am certainly fed up with the now Saturday morning ritual of what you have described below

This is probably the season that broke me. I'm now irreversibly sick to the tits with planning to go to games every week only to be sitting on a Saturday morning looking at this forum waiting for the inevitable call off. Junior football has to realise it's in competition for your time and your money so it's unwise to continually let people down, but despite having repeatedly shown that an unbroken, uncongested season can't be managed due to the weather we persist with a failing, shambolic model. Get the games played at the times of year when they CAN be played and get floodlights in for all competitions wherever clubs can afford them. That would be a start.

[Burnie_man]

It's been discussed before, but I think a full summer season has too many issues, plus it is too big a leap to make.

The compromise is as I posted above, introduce a break covering the worst two months (yes, you cant predict the weather but statistically Jan and Feb are the worst), start the season in mid-July which opens up two or three more midweeks to get the season off to a good start

Get the Junior Cup going in August ie 1st Round August, 2nd Round September, 3rd Round October, 4th Round November, 5th Round March etc. and consider scrapping replays. The clubs that are involved in the big Scottish, consider giving them byes in the first two rounds.

Don't play any football in January and most/all of February, get started again in March and play until early/mid June. Short summer close season.

[surely not!]

A shorter season = more midweek games.

Statistically speaking, more midweek games = smaller crowds.

Smaller crowds = potential less revenue.

Potential less revenue = lack of support for change.

Are most of those midweek games not due to fitting in all the cups? Particularly at the start of the season. If there were less cups then they'd fit easily. If the season was a summer one from mid March to mid October, you'd have 32 Saturday's available when almost all games wouldn't be affected by weather and the pitches - having not been played on all winter- would be in better knick

[Shannon]

It's been discussed before, but I think a full summer season has too many issues, plus it is too big a leap to make.

The compromise is as I posted above, introduce a break covering the worst two months (yes, you cant predict the weather but statistically Jan and Feb are the worst), start the season in mid-July which opens up two or three more midweeks to get the season off to a good start

Get the Junior Cup going in August ie 1st Round August, 2nd Round September, 3rd Round October, 4th Round November, 5th Round March etc. and consider scrapping replays. The clubs that are involved in the big Scottish, consider giving them byes in the first two rounds.

Don't play any football in January and most/all of February, get started again in March and play until early/mid June. Short summer close season.

This is the format that I would go with. 2 month break after Xmas and play into end of June then 3 week break then back in end of July / start of August with League games. West Region scrapping League Cup as East have done.

[surely not!]

This is the format that I would go with. 2 month break after Xmas and play into end of June then 3 week break then back in end of July / start of August with League games. West Region scrapping League Cup as East have done.

Essentially that's just playing from March to december with a three week break in July. Surely it would make more sense to have the shortest break ( 3 weeks) as the one in the middle rather than the nine weeker?

Therefore the season would start in feb and finish in December with three weeks in between. Although due to the better surfaces etc available in summer the season could finish in November or mid October. 32 Saturday's for a 22 match season ( in the west) and no real delays in junior cup for postponed parks. Six or seven cup rounds in scottish would still leave a good handful of Saturday's for one regional cup comp. or could be played Saturday's and midweeks at start of August as a way of breaking back in the teams after the July three weeks.