Winter break

[TBM]

Yes or No?

England players Theo Walcott and Peter Crouch have called for a winter break during the Premier League season.

England manager Fabio Capello said fatigue was partly to blame for the 2-2 draw in the Euro 2012 qualifier against Switzerland on Saturday.

And on Tuesday, Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere said he had experienced a "crazy year" of football.

Sir Alex Ferguson renewed his call for a winter break following his side's defeat to Barcelona in last month's Champions League final.

[Row Z Royal]

A winter break means either extending the season earlier in August/later into May (which will probably mean tiredness at the relevant international tournie anyway)

or

Reducing the size of the league to 18 teams and there are fewer places for us play for.




So no thanks on both those counts. The Christmas period is a great time too, so I'd rather keep hold of it for now, ta.

[The Doctor]

winter break throughout december and extend the season into may. better for the fans too, probably an increase in revenue across the board, and more footy in the sun too. pitches get 4 weeks to rest as well.

[superreadingfan]

weighing up nostalgia versus reality.. ill take reality.. no

[The Doctor]

A winter break means either extending the season earlier in August/later into May (which will probably mean tiredness at the relevant international tournie anyway)

or

Reducing the size of the league to 18 teams and there are fewer places for us play for.




So no thanks on both those counts. The Christmas period is a great time too, so I'd rather keep hold of it for now, ta.

the premier league get it easy and don't have to play many mid-week games, so add 4 more a season maybe 6 and that would make all the difference. it's the football league that would have the biggest problem. 46 league games, league cup and fa cup. l1 and l2 have the johnstones paint thing as well.

[leww_rfc]

No, silly idea!

[Franchise FC]

winter break throughout december and extend the season into may. better for the fans too, probably an increase in revenue across the board, and more footy in the sun too. pitches get 4 weeks to rest as well.

Having looked at when the 'big freeze' has taken place over the last six years we would need to have a winter break starting in November and extending to at least the end of February.
We could end up taking the break and returning to another few weeks off for the weather

4 weeks rest for the pitches in cold, non-growing weather isn't going to help much either.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

I think it would be great for Non League to have a winter break in January. Less Tuesday night games in the freezing cold or clashing with Champions League in front of shit crowds. Play on to the end of May and average attendances would shoot up.

I dont see why the football league cant do it either, just reduce the number of teams in each division and restructure the league. 46 games is way too many, the middle part of the season has always been dull for me.

Why is the league still structered based on what was good for the game in the 1950s?

[TBM]

A winter break means either extending the season earlier in August/later into May (which will probably mean tiredness at the relevant international tournie anyway)

or

Reducing the size of the league to 18 teams and there are fewer places for us play for.




So no thanks on both those counts. The Christmas period is a great time too, so I'd rather keep hold of it for now, ta.

Or spread the "missed" games throughout the season - especially considering there aren't many midweek premier league games.

Germany Italy and Spain all have one and their national side doesn't struggle

[leww_rfc]

Englands failure in the international competitions would be blamed on the season finishing too late if this happened..

[Ian Royal]

Fack off. Ditch some of the Euro-nonsense if you want to play fewer games you big fairies.

[yappy]

Englands failure in the international competitions would be blamed on the season finishing too late if this happened..

Quite right. I'm all for a winter break, but I hate how people put it down as the sole reason for us not showing up at the last few tournaments. Do I think we'd have done any better if we've had a break? No, I don't think we would have.

[TBM]

Fack off. Ditch some of the Euro-nonsense if you want to play fewer games you big fairies.

Don't think you've understood what a winter break does. It doesn't cut down the amount of games played

[Terminal Boardom]

Perhaps if the bigger clubs cut back on long-haul pre season friendlies...

[Bowman's Quiver]

Perhaps if the bigger clubs cut back on long-haul pre season friendlies...

If they have a winter break they can schedule their long-haul friendlies then instead! Sell a few more shirts in China and the such like.

[NR_Royal]

It's simple really, start the season in line with the Football league (a week earlier) Cut out a week from the end of the year.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Maybe

These guys are professionals and are in excellent shape more or less all the time anymore, but ten days to three weeks (tops, unless rehabbing an injury) spent away from football three to five times every calendar year is good for recharging the batteries I suppose

Final Champions/Europa League Group Stage matchdays fall in the first/second week of December, and clubs big enough for that sort of action really shouldn't be complaining about having to play on into December if the domestic league were to break endish November and then fire it back up on Boxing Day with normal service to the end

Still gonna need to find a way to squeeze those lost December games in somewhere (and before rather than after the festive period owing to FA Cup/replays), plus there's the League Cup thru the quarterfinal round clogging midweeks of those still in it

The real key to this, I think, will be redoing Euro/WC qualifying; I think they should bunch it in the summer --four to six matches for each nation-- and greatly ease the time commitment and general disruption caused to the leagues in-season (and christ, it's not as if the final tournaments are played in June/July of every even-numbered year at the expense of absolutely nothing else )

Otherwise, there aren't enough days on the calendar to make it all fit in a way that makes a whole lot of senseeeeee

[Barry the bird boggler]

Pointless, the big clubs would be off organising prestigious friendlies to fill the gap as all anyone cares about is money

[zummerset]

Tend to go to the Canary Islands as the weather is usually nice

[Row Z Royal]

A winter break means either extending the season earlier in August/later into May (which will probably mean tiredness at the relevant international tournie anyway)

or

Reducing the size of the league to 18 teams and there are fewer places for us play for.




So no thanks on both those counts. The Christmas period is a great time too, so I'd rather keep hold of it for now, ta.

Or spread the "missed" games throughout the season - especially considering there aren't many midweek premier league games.

Germany Italy and Spain all have one and their national side doesn't struggle

Where in the season are most of these games going to go, given that nearly half the league invoved in European football?