Winter Break

[Wurzel]

After years of talking about it the PL has decided on a winter break in February https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44414487

 

Could be just me but not sure how this works

The break will be staggered across two weeks, with five matches on the first weekend and five the following weekend.

Does that mean 10 teams have 2 weeks uninterrupted whilst the other 10 have two separate weeks with a game in the middle?

[fez]

I was trying to work that out too. I think they'll arrange the fixtures so that everyone gets a two week break. The first weekend in Feb 2020 is Sat1/Sun 2. So half the PL teams will play then and have their next games on Sat 15/ Sun 16. The other half will play on Sat 8/ Sun 9 but they will have played last on the Jan 25/26 weekend, so they'll get the fortnight off too. Make sense?

[EkonOkereke]

Interesting, good news for the England team.

[Wurzel]

I was trying to work that out too. I think they'll arrange the fixtures so that everyone gets a two week break. The first weekend in Feb 2020 is Sat1/Sun 2. So half the PL teams will play then and have their next games on Sat 15/ Sun 16. The other half will play on Sat 8/ Sun 9 but they will have played last on the Jan 25/26 weekend, so they'll get the fortnight off too. Make sense?

 

Yep that makes sense, although that's effectively 2 week breaks staggered over a 3 week period. Probably just badly worded.

[alehouseboys]

Are they still trying to move the 2022 World Cup to our winter?

[Batman]

I think a winter break is a good idea; basically, a weekend off.

 

However, how long before teams are getting off around the world on their weekend off to play lucrative friendlies?

[fish fingers]

I think a winter break is a good idea; basically, a weekend off.

 

However, how long before teams are getting off around the world on their weekend off to play lucrative friendlies?

 

Exactly what is going to happen. Spanish and German clubs do it already, no reason to suspect PL clubs will be any different.

[mrfahaji]

A winter break, for a week in February... How does that help with the amount of games played over Christmas? Would it not be better just to take out of the xmas games and plonk it somewhere else less congested? Not quite sure how having 1 week off in February is going to suddenly propel the England team to success.

 

And the FA Cup shunted to midweek, how convenient. And no replays from 5th round onwards. How much further do the FA want to bend over for the PL? (fwiw I don't outright disagree with no replays, it just all smacks of a deal that only suits the PL. Again.)

[Lighthouse]

I think a winter break is a good idea; basically, a weekend off.

 

However, how long before teams are getting off around the world on their weekend off to play lucrative friendlies?

 

Don’t care, so long as people like Mourinho stop moaning about fixture congestion.

 

This has been done before but I’d be happy to see a month long break and finish the season a month later. Have some nice warm away days with better weather and pitches.

[CB Fry]

A winter break, for a week in February... How does that help with the amount of games played over Christmas? Would it not be better just to take out of the xmas games and plonk it somewhere else less congested? Not quite sure how having 1 week off in February is going to suddenly propel the England team to success.

 

 

Since when is the amount of games over Christmas a problem that needs helping?

 

Lots of football matches in quick succession is one of the best things about Christmas. That's the point of it.

 

Fuc king nuts some people.

[Pamplemousse]

Exactly what is going to happen. Spanish and German clubs do it already, no reason to suspect PL clubs will be any different.

 

The Premier League have said clubs won't be allowed to play friendlies but can go on warm weather training camps.

 

I think how they've done it makes sense. At least it's staggered so there will still be Premier League games each weekend.

[whelk]

Since when is the amount of games over Christmas a problem that needs helping?

 

Lots of football matches in quick succession is one of the best things about Christmas. That's the point of it.

 

Fuc king nuts some people.

 

It’s the new fan. Anyone who wants Christmas fixtures changed is an absolute JCL c unt. Ahh the players need rest - who gives a flying f uck? Same wa nkers that reply to Henry Fcking Winter and talk about England tactics.

[Suomi Saint]

Modern footballers are a fragile lot. The same 11 used to play on bog like pitches for 50 plus matches with only one substitute in my day. The squad size back then was only 16/18. Easter fixtures were Friday, Saturday and Monday. The modern day tarts check their hair in giant screens and cry when some nasty Spaniard hurts their shoulder. This is just pampering to the Big 6 manager’s whims. With a squad of 25 or whatever it is, they don’t need a week off in Dubai in February. Or perhaps the FA are simply preparing us for the Qatar 2022 debacle.

[Saint_clark]

Modern footballers are a fragile lot. The same 11 used to play on bog like pitches for 50 plus matches with only one substitute in my day. The squad size back then was only 16/18. Easter fixtures were Friday, Saturday and Monday. The modern day tarts check their hair in giant screens and cry when some nasty Spaniard hurts their shoulder. This is just pampering to the Big 6 manager’s whims. With a squad of 25 or whatever it is, they don’t need a week off in Dubai in February. Or perhaps the FA are simply preparing us for the Qatar 2022 debacle.

But back then players stood around for long portions of the games.

 

Sent from my SM-J330FN using Tapatalk

[John Boy Saint]

But back then players stood around for long portions of the games.

 

Sent from my SM-J330FN using Tapatalk

...............smoked like chimneys and drank a few beers.

[Lighthouse]

Modern footballers are a fragile lot. The same 11 used to play on bog like pitches for 50 plus matches with only one substitute in my day. The squad size back then was only 16/18. Easter fixtures were Friday, Saturday and Monday. The modern day tarts check their hair in giant screens and cry when some nasty Spaniard hurts their shoulder. This is just pampering to the Big 6 manager’s whims. With a squad of 25 or whatever it is, they don’t need a week off in Dubai in February. Or perhaps the FA are simply preparing us for the Qatar 2022 debacle.

 

Where has this conspiracy come from that everything is just for the benefit of 'the big six'. Other players at other clubs play the same number of games and will be equally fatigued. If anything this will benefit clubs like Saints who don't have anywhere near the depth of squad as those above them.

[CB Fry]

It’s the new fan. Anyone who wants Christmas fixtures changed is an absolute JCL c unt. Ahh the players need rest - who gives a flying f uck? Same wa nkers that reply to Henry Fcking Winter and talk about England tactics.

100%. It's unspeakable that chin-stroking bellends think some nebulous idea that if we don't play over Christmas we're suddenly going to win the world cup? Get to fu ck.

 

Sky generation armchair fans who have never gone to a football match with friends and family in their entire lives.

 

Christmas Day = build up to boxing day fixtures just after I've woken up halfway through Doctor Who.

Edited 9 June, 2018 by CB Fry

[SW5 SAINT]

Mid season break!! Just watch the big six go and fill up the two weeks with a couple of fixtures in the middle east......

[Lighthouse]

Mid season break!! Just watch the big six go and fill up the two weeks with a couple of fixtures in the middle east......

 

And you care because...

[Batman]

Mid season break!! Just watch the big six go and fill up the two weeks with a couple of fixtures in the middle east......

 

up to them really. But at least they wont be able to moan about no break

[VectisSaint]

Where has this conspiracy come from that everything is just for the benefit of 'the big six'. Other players at other clubs play the same number of games and will be equally fatigued.

 

Well actually they don't do they. The top 6 tend to play more games. But yes it could benefit clubs outside the top 6 as long as they don't arrange to play lucrative friendlies as most suspect they will.

[Charlie Wayman]

Winter break or no winter break, we fans won't even notice the difference. Why don't they just close the whole league down for one month preferably January so that we can have a break as well and any transfer business can take place behind closed doors so to speak.

[mrfahaji]

It’s the new fan. Anyone who wants Christmas fixtures changed is an absolute JCL c unt. Ahh the players need rest - who gives a flying f uck? Same wa nkers that reply to Henry Fcking Winter and talk about England tactics.

 

Please do not class me as a 'new fan', I was alluding to the fact that the managers, players & media complain about the fixture congestion (which you have mentioned yourself), so presumably that's one of things they want to change? I also think having a 'winter break' for one week seems totally pointless, I can't even see the argument for an arbitrary week off in February. At least if they had a two week break in January after the busy Xmas period I would see the logic in it.

 

Personally I am happy with Christmas fixtures. I would, however, take out ONE match and put it somewhere else. But that's mainly because with the TV scheduling it means some teams end up getting a significant advantage over others because of how many games and 'slots' there are. But I'm not an advocate in any sense of stopping or massively reducing football over Christmas.

Edited 9 June, 2018 by mrfahaji

[mrfahaji]

Since when is the amount of games over Christmas a problem that needs helping?

 

Lots of football matches in quick succession is one of the best things about Christmas. That's the point of it.

 

Fuc king nuts some people.

 

See my reply to whelk... I realise that in my original post I've missed out the crucial word 'one' from the "take out *one* of the xmas games" bit which may have given you the wrong impression of my post. The one game I'm I refer to is one of the matches mongst the 'traditional' spots. If we have games on 19th, 22nd, 26th, 29th, 1st & 5th, perhaps we should get rid of, say, the 22nd or the 29th. It might just help with the imbalance of schedules. Obviously the better scenario would not to have any TV games on the 27th/28th/30th/31st, and just make everyone play on the same days, but the idea of taking games away from TV is now so infeasible that it's not even worth debating it...

[eelpie]

100%. It's unspeakable that chin-stroking bellends think some nebulous idea that if we don't play over Christmas we're suddenly going to win the world cup? Get to fu ck.

 

Sky generation armchair fans who have never gone to a football match with friends and family in their entire lives.

 

Christmas Day = build up to boxing day fixtures just after I've woken up halfway through Doctor Who.

 

Sources?

[eelpie]

Winter break or no winter break, we fans won't even notice the difference. Why don't they just close the whole league down for one month preferably January so that we can have a break as well and any transfer business can take place behind closed doors so to speak.

 

And then it snows/floods for a week/fortnight and matches are cancelled so there's no footie for five or six weeks. Still 1947 will never happen again when the country ground to a standstill for nigh on two months. Surely. It's true Charlie, we won't notice the difference.

[CB Fry]

See my reply to whelk... I realise that in my original post I've missed out the crucial word 'one' from the "take out *one* of the xmas games" bit which may have given you the wrong impression of my post. The one game I'm I refer to is one of the matches mongst the 'traditional' spots. If we have games on 19th, 22nd, 26th, 29th, 1st & 5th, perhaps we should get rid of, say, the 22nd or the 29th. It might just help with the imbalance of schedules. Obviously the better scenario would not to have any TV games on the 27th/28th/30th/31st, and just make everyone play on the same days, but the idea of taking games away from TV is now so infeasible that it's not even worth debating it...

You can't say you're happy with the Christmas fixtures and at the same time say you want to take one out.

 

If you remove the (say) 29th then that means you're taking out a festive home game from every club every other year. Madness.

 

Rapid games in succession is the entire point of the Christmas football period. It's brilliant for the fans and from my perspective a central part of the marathon of the season. It's Becher's Brook, it's hitting the wall at mile 20, it's king of the mountains, it's the 5 set, 16 game fifth set in the quarter final at Wimbledon.

 

Managers complaining about Christmas fixtures and fans whining about it is like the Brownlee brothers saying the triathlon would be so much more competitive if you just took out the bicycle bit.

Edited 9 June, 2018 by CB Fry

[DuncanRG]

Good news and one of many small steps that could help the England side. Hopefully there are bigger ones to come. Don't know why anyone would be bothered as a fan, it's not like breaking up the Christmas fixtures even though that woud help the players much more.

Edited 9 June, 2018 by DuncanRG

[SW5 SAINT]

And you care because...

 

Because the keep moaning about fixture overload........

[mrfahaji]

You can't say you're happy with the Christmas fixtures and at the same time say you want to take one out.

 

If you remove the (say) 29th then that means you're taking out a festive home game from every club every other year. Madness.

 

Rapid games in succession is the entire point of the Christmas football period. It's brilliant for the fans and from my perspective a central part of the marathon of the season. It's Becher's Brook, it's hitting the wall at mile 20, it's king of the mountains, it's the 5 set, 16 game fifth set in the quarter final at Wimbledon.

 

Managers complaining about Christmas fixtures and fans whining about it is like the Brownlee brothers saying the triathlon would be so much more competitive if you just took out the bicycle bit.

 

I agree with you. If I was in charge I wouldn't remove any games and I would stop TV from changing the fixtures around so that everyone played on the same days. But that isn't going to happen, so I question whether or not it's right that some teams get an advantage over others with the scheduling.

[captainchris]

Interesting, good news for the England team.

 

So a two week break will help the England team - and how will that work....

Pure populist propaganda and nothing else!

[DuncanRG]

So a two week break will help the England team - and how will that work....

Pure populist propaganda and nothing else!

 

What do you mean by populist propaganda?

 

A break will help prevent fatigue in Premier League players, which includes all but a few English players. That's it.

[Sidney Fudpucker the 3rd]

Modern footballers are a fragile lot. The same 11 used to play on bog like pitches for 50 plus matches with only one substitute in my day. The squad size back then was only 16/18. Easter fixtures were Friday, Saturday and Monday. The modern day tarts check their hair in giant screens and cry when some nasty Spaniard hurts their shoulder. This is just pampering to the Big 6 manager’s whims. With a squad of 25 or whatever it is, they don’t need a week off in Dubai in February. Or perhaps the FA are simply preparing us for the Qatar 2022 debacle.

 

Absolutely. They've also axed extra time in the League Cup. I can remember when there could be a couple of replays if cup games were undecided.

[angelman]

Let's not be naive about it. This is not for the benefit of the national team, its for the benefit of those playing Champions League.

[ericofarabia]

Let's not be naive about it. This is not for the benefit of the national team, its for the benefit of those playing Champions League.

 

Yep .... those same greedy gits who demanded more lucrative CL and even Europa (?) Qualifying Group Stages instead of straight forward knockout games ....

and then complained about fixture congestion in the League and domestic cup competitions.

 

As for the no Cup Replays from the 5th Round onwards is just another step in ruining what was once regarded as the best Cup Competition in The World, and only benefits teams with European games.

Imagine how much a good cup run means to smaller teams, and the prospect of taking Man U etc to a replay away could be the difference between survival and bankruptcy. The whole thing stinks.

 

And don't get me started on how it will benefit The England Set Up .... The useless blank weekends for meaningless friendlies have already put that theory to bed, not to mention that it will benefit all the other National Teams who

have players in The Prem and aren't used to the rigours of our season even more.

 

WABOC's

[whelk]

I am assuming if you get knocked out of FA Cup then may well be a 3 week break? A real incentive for Poch to sack off the cup.

 

Obviously with only 5 games none will be 3pm Sat but guess they plan to have the groups of 10 drawn up at start of season big six are split evenly? Sky will be really scratching their heads as to how to bill mostly unattractive games.

[whelk]

Please do not class me as a 'new fan', I was alluding to the fact that the managers, players & media complain about the fixture congestion (which you have mentioned yourself), so presumably that's one of things they want to change? I also think having a 'winter break' for one week seems totally pointless, I can't even see the argument for an arbitrary week off in February. At least if they had a two week break in January after the busy Xmas period I would see the logic in it.

 

Personally I am happy with Christmas fixtures. I would, however, take out ONE match and put it somewhere else. But that's mainly because with the TV scheduling it means some teams end up getting a significant advantage over others because of how many games and 'slots' there are. But I'm not an advocate in any sense of stopping or massively reducing football over Christmas.

 

Fair enough. The break is so all teams get a period to recharge/go to Dubai so there is logic. Whilst I don’t agree with it it is probably the most acceptable way to do it without us missing our fix.

I am suspicious of the fan who ever supports any break though as most of us can’t cope with international breaks.

[Lighthouse]

Because the keep moaning about fixture overload........

 

If they start playing meaningless friendlies, they wont be able to.

[whelk]

You can't say you're happy with the Christmas fixtures and at the same time say you want to take one out.

 

If you remove the (say) 29th then that means you're taking out a festive home game from every club every other year. Madness.

 

Rapid games in succession is the entire point of the Christmas football period. It's brilliant for the fans and from my perspective a central part of the marathon of the season. It's Becher's Brook, it's hitting the wall at mile 20, it's king of the mountains, it's the 5 set, 16 game fifth set in the quarter final at Wimbledon.

 

Managers complaining about Christmas fixtures and fans whining about it is like the Brownlee brothers saying the triathlon would be so much more competitive if you just took out the bicycle bit.

 

I’d much prefer it if they had a couple of days between the swim, the bicycle bit and the run. We would then be watching supreme athletes at their peaks who have had a chance to have their blood sugar levels checked, a rub down and good nights kip.

Downside is may get less chance to laugh at comedy walking wobbly legs.

[ericofarabia]

Obviously got too much time on my hands today, and this is really yanking my chain, so I decided to have a look at how much the FA Cup mid week change would have helped England this season.

 

2017/18 FA Cup 5th Round Draw for weekend mid Feb which will now be played mid week.

 

1 Sheffield Wednesday v Swansea City

2 West Bromwich Albion v Southampton

3 Chelsea v Hull City

4 Leicester City v Sheffield United

5 Huddersfield Town v Manchester United

6 Rochdale v Tottenham Hotspur

7 Brighton and Hove Albion v Coventry City

8 Wigan Athletic v Manchester City

 

6 out of 8 games ..... 3/4's of those games involve a Prem Team who would have had the benefit of a weekend break against a non prem team with less player resources, more fixtures and not being jetted across the country for an away fixture etc etc.

 

The other 2 games included us, WBA and Huddersfield .... an absolute treasure trove of current England International players ..... NOT. Add Leicester,Brighton and Swansea to te list and who are we left with .......

Of course the elite who this change is meant for Man U, Man City, Chelsea and Spurs to be able to continue their quest for more revenue in money spinning European Cup Games.

 

How many of us would have bothered going to WBA on a cold wet and windy Tuesday Night, compared to The weekend Sell Out?

Where would Rochdale be without their Cup Windfall replay at Wembley and imagine how good despite the result the players and fans felt at seeing their team at Wembley .... The Magic of The Cup over the filthy lure of more money for the elite?

[Badger]

How many of us would have bothered going to WBA on a cold wet and windy Tuesday Night, compared to The weekend Sell Out?

Where would Rochdale be without their Cup Windfall replay at Wembley and imagine how good despite the result the players and fans felt at seeing their team at Wembley .... The Magic of The Cup over the filthy lure of more money for the elite?

 

I feel the same way as you that this excuse of a winter break is a means to reducing the FA Cup further. The doyens of the PL, and the Big 6' have been looking to do this for some years, turn it into a midweek sideshow with no replays. A great shame, part of the magic of the cup were the replays Newport and Rochdale had this season.

 

As for playing "too much football", helping the CL and international teams, that's a load of ********. Reducing the league size from 22 to 20 teams was meant to do that, but I've not noticed any improvement in the international side.

[mrfahaji]

Fair enough. The break is so all teams get a period to recharge/go to Dubai so there is logic. Whilst I don’t agree with it it is probably the most acceptable way to do it without us missing our fix.

I am suspicious of the fan who ever supports any break though as most of us can’t cope with international breaks.

 

Agree, I do not want a break. I'm just saying that if they insist on having one maybe it would make more sense to have it in January after the busy Xmas period rather than a random week in February. Plus the FA Cup becoming a midweek thing really p1sses me off. Seems like every announcement about football now makes me hate the Premier League even more.

[mrfahaji]

 

How many of us would have bothered going to WBA on a cold wet and windy Tuesday Night, compared to The weekend Sell Out?

Where would Rochdale be without their Cup Windfall replay at Wembley and imagine how good despite the result the players and fans felt at seeing their team at Wembley .... The Magic of The Cup over the filthy lure of more money for the elite?

 

Agree with your post, particularly this bit. I don't understand why they couldn't apply the same rules that they use in the non-League cup competition (FA Trophy?) where if both teams request for no replay (before the game takes place), then it is settled in 90 minutes. That basically means there will be no replay unless you have a minnow playing who need the money. Obviously that would never happen though because a lot of teams would request a replay against the big boys so it would potentially be a disadvantage for them (even more reason to have it in my book!)

[captainchris]

What do you mean by populist propaganda?

 

A break will help prevent fatigue in Premier League players, which includes all but a few English players. That's it.

 

If you really really believe this ‘initiative’ will see England improve then jolly good luck to you!

Personally I don’t believe in fairy tales. Two weeks off in February changes every thing?

[VectisSaint]

What do you mean by populist propaganda?

 

A break will help prevent fatigue in Premier League players, which includes all but a few English players. That's it.

That will be the England players who have already played a lot less than their WC rivals. This is likely to benefit players from other countries who play in the PL more than English ones.

[DuncanRG]

If you really really believe this ‘initiative’ will see England improve then jolly good luck to you!

Personally I don’t believe in fairy tales. Two weeks off in February changes every thing?

 

Of course it doesn't change everything. Like I said in my other post, it's a small step which may be of small benefit. Even if it doesn't help England much, the summer tournaments are better for everyone if players are fresh.

 

That will be the England players who have already played a lot less than their WC rivals. This is likely to benefit players from other countries who play in the PL more than English ones.

 

Some of them have played less, certainly not all, but that's why a bigger and more important step for England is for our players to find game time abroad or at smaller clubs. See the Belgian squad, many of whom racked up 100+ appearances in Dutch and French football before arriving at the elite clubs as first XI players.

Edited 10 June, 2018 by DuncanRG

[captainchris]

God really .... fine ...