Friday night or Saturday afternoon?

[Fish]

Just posted on 'another kick-off change' and realised it's really a new topic. Probably been done before I expect...

 

[Fish]

...and the post. Happy snapping.


If you choose to go out Friday night, or play sport on a Saturday (as I do), that's choice. You live with it.

That leaves work. Aside from the obvious argument that work is a different kettle of fish to play and that I don't know anyone who has jacked in their job to go to football on Saturdays (footie has to be paid for after all), I would hazard a guess that more people would have jobs that require them to work on a Saturday than on a Friday night.

Add into the pot the fact that on balance more people have leisure interests on a Saturday than on a Friday night I think enables more people to go than it prevents.

Friday nights also do have a bit of a buzz about them, make for a good atmosphere and encourage some floating voters to give RH another try. Plus there's the argument that it enables London club fans to see their local team for a change without missing W*st H*m, *rsenal, Spurs, Stepney Reserves or whoever on the Saturday. AND we get featured on Soccer AM the next day etc etc, all better exposure isn't it?

That's why I think the odd Friday night game is good for the club.

One last point, anyone who enjoys going out on a Friday night and can't have a good time unless they're there before 9:45 is definately going to the wrong clubs

 

[Guest]

I prefer Saturday afternoon fixtures but I don't mind Friday night games so long as there aren't loads of them like last season

 

[Southendsleeper]

Friday night means I can do saturday overtime...to pay for my season ticket

 

[Ron Manager]

I like the balance as it is right now, a few Friday nights through the season because as you say they do have a special buzz about them. However make every game a Friday and it's no longer special and that buzz will wear off.

Also, Saturdays without football are pretty fecking dull so for the 'majority' of games I say Saturday all the way!

 

[southend_utd_fan]

Saturday's all the way! Fridays I work till 8pm, So im going have to try and make it for half time. As im not wasting my season ticket.

 

[sufcintheprem]

Some of the Fridays last year were classic. That said, I think on evening games we almost always had good results at home. I can't imagine people would be clamouring to get in if we lost a few of those.

But.....going top against Bristol Rovers after flinging them aside like a non-league side in front of a packed Roots Hall in floodlights was an occasion with few rivals in recent times!

Still, as I've already said elsewhere, I'm a believer that football is for Saturday afternoons and Bank Holidays. Cup games only for my evenings please.

 

[BrettieAngell]

I prefer Saturday games, to get to the ground in time on a weeknight I have to get home from work get changed and im straight out again which is a bit of a pain in the ***!

 

[Westcliff Shrimper]

Friday nights just seem to feel better - and it gives Saturday's free to go out with the wife, so giving brownie points when I stagger home drunk every so often....

 

[The General]

Er. Friday = more pub time and less rushing around but im not overly fussed to be honest.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

Genuinely cannot stand the idea of Friday night football. Saturday's were designed for football, nothing better than getting back in the car, sticking 5 Live on and finding out all the othe results, its when football is supposed to happen.

Friday nights are just not meant for football, for people who dont work in Southend they can be a nightmare, and if people are going out on Friday nights, then it can interfere with that.

Additionally, you tend to get no away support on a Friday night, which doesnt make for a great atmosphere from that point of view, and clubs who plau at Roots Hall on a Friday night, often reciprocate, and therefore, we end up with a shocking journey somewhere up North on a Friday, which is extremely inconvenient for fans.

 

[Southstandblue]

It has to be Saturdays! It gets me out of the house and from under my girlfriends feet while she is doing the housework.

 

[Mick]

Quote[/b] (Richard_Cadette @ July 04 2005,12:45)]Genuinely cannot stand the idea of Friday night football.  Saturday's were designed for football, nothing better than getting back in the car, sticking 5 Live on and finding out all the othe results, its when football is supposed to happen.

Friday nights are just not meant for football, for people who dont work in Southend they can be a nightmare, and if people are going out on Friday nights, then it can interfere with that.

Additionally, you tend to get no away support on a Friday night, which doesnt make for a great atmosphere from that point of view, and clubs who plau at Roots Hall on a Friday night, often reciprocate, and therefore, we end up with a shocking journey somewhere up North on a Friday, which is extremely inconvenient for fans.

New definition of "often"; once every couple of years.

Once again we get "Saturday's were designed for football". Apart from the superfluous apostrophe, this is patently absurd.

At least just admit that Saturdays suit you better. The vote attached to this thread makes it clear that it's a split (and closely split) decision.

It is therefore most reasonable that a few games be played on Fridays. The Friday night devotees don't insist that all the games should be on Fridays, so I don't know why we get all this Saturday is for football and football is for Saturday crap.

 

[Napster]

I prefer Tuesday night football. Makes the ridiculous argument of Friday versus Saturday is superfluous.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

Quote[/b] (Mick @ July 04 2005,16:52)]

Quote[/b] (Richard_Cadette @ July 04 2005,12:45)]Genuinely cannot stand the idea of Friday night football.  Saturday's were designed for football, nothing better than getting back in the car, sticking 5 Live on and finding out all the othe results, its when football is supposed to happen.

Friday nights are just not meant for football, for people who dont work in Southend they can be a nightmare, and if people are going out on Friday nights, then it can interfere with that.

Additionally, you tend to get no away support on a Friday night, which doesnt make for a great atmosphere from that point of view, and clubs who plau at Roots Hall on a Friday night, often reciprocate, and therefore, we end up with a shocking journey somewhere up North on a Friday, which is extremely inconvenient for fans.

New definition of "often"; once every couple of years.

Once again we get "Saturday's were designed for football". Apart from the superfluous apostrophe, this is patently absurd.

At least just admit that Saturdays suit you better. The vote attached to this thread makes it clear that it's a split (and closely split) decision.

It is therefore most reasonable that a few games be played on Fridays. The Friday night devotees don't insist that all the games should be on Fridays, so I don't know why we get all this Saturday is for football and football is for Saturday crap.

Calm down mate, just my opinion, if you dont agree with it, then fine, but dont throw ya toys out of the pram, jeez!!

And in actual fact, it would 'suit' me more if games were played on a Friday night as that would leave me the rest of the weekend free to do whatever I choose, but I think Saturdays were put there for a reason, and that reason was football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that enough superfluous exclamation marks for ya?

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Quote[/b] (Richard_Cadette @ July 04 2005,16:56)]Calm down mate, just my opinion, if you dont agree with it, then fine, but dont throw ya toys out of the pram, jeez!!

And in actual fact, it would 'suit' me more if games were played on a Friday night as that would leave me the rest of the weekend free to do whatever I choose, but I think Saturdays were put there for a reason, and that reason was football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is that enough superfluous exclamation marks for ya?

Those aren't superfluous!

I think the gist of Mick's post is that there are good reasons why different people prefer one or other of the two options. Neither has a divine right to be the universal football day. I think it is a little selfish to demand that all games be staged on your preferred day.

Let's stick to the current arrangement of a few Friday night games (which I prefer, despite living and working in London) and then the majority of games on Saturday afternoons as is tradition.

 

[Kent Shrimper]

interesting to see that Fridays are winning as im sure last season saturdays came out on top?

 

[sufcintheprem]

Quote[/b] (Mick @ July 04 2005,16:52)]Once again we get "Saturday's were designed for football". Apart from the superfluous apostrophe, this is patently absurd.

The notion that a day was designed for football may be absurd but surely the notion that league football was designed to be played on Saturday is far from absurd.

This may well be why the League announces all fixtures on a Saturday subject to change rather than announcing them on a Friday subject to change. This may well be why league football has always been played on Saturdays. Hell, this is why the football magazine carries the title 'When Saturday Comes' rather than 'when Friday Comes'.

Still, times change, and as you say, the notion that a day is set for football may well be contentious. Saturday symbolises many different things for many different people and, as with many sports, football is willing to adjust its traditions to meet supporter demand. In this case, it is clear that there is a strong split in supporter demands.

I would be surprised, though, if a whole season of Friday night home games managed to sustain the support for them, particularly if away teams followed suit.



(Phew, a whole post on this with no mention of working times or j*bs.

)