Question Is it time to do away with multiple fixtures at Xmas / New Year?

[Jam_Man]

I think there should be a winter break of 2 weeks. However that shouldn't fall over Christmas. I've got no issue with teams needing to play 3 times in 6/7 days.

We had two weeks off beginning of December due to cup games, with another break they would barely played.

 

[Sleaford Shrimper]

Some valid points made in opposition to my initial suggestion. I maybe did not express my reason number 2 as clearly as I should have done. By 'recovery time' I was thinking more of recovery from injuries sustained in matches. Relatively minor knocks and strains that would heal sufficiently to play again in three or four days might not have healed sufficiently in two without risking turning them into more major or long-term problems. If you are a Premiership club with a big squad and strength in depth, you just put out different players, although Van Gaal and Redknapp were both moaning about having to play two matches in 48 hours yesterday. With a squad like ours, where we don't have two real 'first team' players for every position, the loss of key players can weaken the team considerably. Hurst and Worrall had super games for us on Boxing Day and were heavily influential in producing what many people think was one of our best team performances of the season. Both of them picked up injuries in the second half. Hurst was still unfit to start 48 hours later and Worrall had to be subbed off in the first half. I don't know the full nature of their injuries but they might well have been more fully fit to play had the next game been on New Year's Day. With due respect, Weston and Coulthirst are not like-for-like replacements for the in-form Hurst and Worrall that we saw on Boxing Day.

 

[dbailey3]

This thread wouldnt even be here if we won both of the effing games

 

[Sleaford Shrimper]

This thread wouldnt even be here if we won both of the effing games

Not true. I have held my views on this for some considerable time and thought I'd give people something different to have a go at rather than just moaning about the players, the manager and the chairman.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

IMHO it tells the men from the boys, both players and managers, the festive period doesn't just pop up by surprise, good managers plan ahead, have plan B or C in place. Those Premiersh*te managers who moan about it can truly jog on.

Be nice if they actually played some of their many youth team players rather than whingeing about how many games they've got.

 

[Csboy]

2 games in 3 days im just annoyed we had to play yesterday instead of Sunday. I remember there was a time when there would be 2 games in 2 days. Noone expecting the players to play 2 games in 2 days every week but 2 games in 2 days once a year isnt too much to ask from professional sportsmen.

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

2 games in 3 days im just annoyed we had to play yesterday instead of Sunday. I remember there was a time when there would be 2 games in 2 days. Noone expecting the players to play 2 games in 2 days every week but 2 games in 2 days once a year isnt too much to ask from professional sportsmen.

I presume you meant Saturday?

 

[Blue_Wes]

I think it's time we scrapped the 'tradition' of having multiple fixtures over the Christmas New Year period because

1 The cold conditions make players more susceptible to incurring muscle and tissue injuries

2 It leaves players insufficient recovery time between matches

3 Christmas is already an expensive time of year for supporters without having to shell out for multiple match tickets, petrol to get to matches and so on.

A home match on Boxing Day and an away match on New Year's Day (or vice versa) with no matches in between would be better all round. If Boxing Day is on a Monday, I would scrap matches on the previous Saturday, which are often comparatively poorly attended anyway.

What do other people think?

It's a hit for clubs revenue wise as well, as our home fixtures over this period are almost always in our top five of the season, even more so now they try and regionalise them.

 

[Mr Plow]

I imagine if they did bring in a winter break the first thing clubs in the top flight would do is to organise some money spinning friendly tournament in Dubai or Cancun.

 

[Liam AAS]

I think it's time we scrapped the 'tradition' of having multiple fixtures over the Christmas New Year period because

1 The cold conditions make players more susceptible to incurring muscle and tissue injuries

2 It leaves players insufficient recovery time between matches

3 Christmas is already an expensive time of year for supporters without having to shell out for multiple match tickets, petrol to get to matches and so on.

A home match on Boxing Day and an away match on New Year's Day (or vice versa) with no matches in between would be better all round. If Boxing Day is on a Monday, I would scrap matches on the previous Saturday, which are often comparatively poorly attended anyway.

What do other people think?

I think that this is a pretty reasonable point!

 

[GodblessArthurRowley]

Back in time teams played on Xmas Day and Boxing Day and you could get public transport to go and watch the games.

 

[Firestorm]

Back in time teams played on Xmas Day and Boxing Day and you could get public transport to go and watch the games.

And the pitches were heavier, balls and boots weighed more and the tackles were a lot stronger too

usually back to back games , home and away against the same team as well.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

And the pitches were heavier, balls and boots weighed more and the tackles were a lot stronger too

usually back to back games , home and away against the same team as well.

Did that plenty of times in the Borough Combination

 

[Uncle Leo]

Did that plenty of times in the Borough Combination

Thanks Barna.

 

[londonblue]

Insufficient recovery time? They're supposed to be proffessional athletes, they should be capable of playing 2 games of football in 3 days.

Just because someone gets paid to do something doesn't mean their bodies are able to defy the laws of nature. If a player picks up an injury, 2 days will probably not be enough time to recover, paid or not paid.

 

[londonblue]

I am mainly talking about the Prem now, but with big squads and the fact that we are told that the players are the fittest they have ever been in the game, plus the fact that they do nothing else and it's not like Rugby where the body takes an absolute battering every game, I do get fed up with hearing about how "tired" the players are.

I'd have slightly more sympathy if, when there was a break for a team because, say, they were out of a Cup, they didn't swan off somewhere to play exhibition matches.

Just get on with it and stop moaning!

Which is what LVG complained about in the summer when he took over at Man Ure. He was the first person to say that their far east tours in the summer hampered their preparation for the beginning of the season.

 

[TTS]

Our national team would still be poor with a break. I don't see why or how professional players should be afforded breaks. Also surely it only really affects teams on a run. If you are on winning streak leading into the break you wont want the break, if you are on a losing run , you will !

I'm sorry, but the winter period as also easter is a good period of constant football ! They should enjoy getting paid for something they love !

 

[TTS]

Did that plenty of times in the Borough Combination

Haha, also double headers. Get sent off first game and play the second game - brilliant !