|
BUT FIRST ONE SMALL QUESTION: Summer football proposals only apply to the WP. What about the rest of the pyramid? What about promoted or relegated clubs? What do they do when they are: Promoted in April but the new season does not start until March? or Relegated in November and the new season does not start until August? |
| For | v | Against | ||||||
| …summer football | * | is in fact a misnomer as much of the existing season would still be used | ||||||
| ie mid February to mid November instead of mid August to mid May | ||||||||
| it would mean pre-season in January & Cup Finals in November | ||||||||
| …will avoid bad weather | * | not if it happens in March, April or October or November | ||||||
| …will lead to fewer postponements | * | probably true, although not wholly postponements in recent years have been due to | ||||||
|
||||||||
| ...
failure to raise a side, refusal to
play after UEFA games |
||||||||
| …will
lead to better pitches |
* | not if dry bouncy pitches are to be avoided, unwatered, under prepared and uneven. In the past year matches have been called off due to dangerous dry surfaces. | ||||||
| (ie
the Welsh Cup Final 2002) |
||||||||
| * | clubs will be unable to use grounds shared with athletic stadiums or cricket squares. | |||||||
| …will raise standards of play | * | not on bouncy, dusty pitches | ||||||
| * | not if players opt to stick to the existing season, and play in England instead | |||||||
| * | not if players opt against it | |||||||
| …will lead to bigger crowds | * | |||||||
|
* |
not
in North Wales where transport will be difficult in the summer
(A5 & A55) |
||||||
| * | not where holiday makers have little interest in welsh football | |||||||
| * | not where existing fans go on holiday | |||||||
| * |
not when
Christmas and New Year derby matches are a thing of the past |
|||||||
| …will pick up "desperate" fans keen | * | swings and roundabouts, there may be some success but just as much | ||||||
|
|
danger
of WP fans getting used to watching
someone else! |
|||||||
| * | by July pre-season games starts which regular supporters may well prefer | |||||||
| …will improve Euro chances | * | no possible evidence of this | ||||||
| * | the standard of domestic football in Wales is the issue, not playing a few | |||||||
| matches
before being outclassed. |
||||||||
| Why
not Lobby UEFA to provide appropriate levels of competition for small countries? |
||||||||
| …it's worked in Ireland | * | the Irish have no proof of this | ||||||
| Weekly budgets and wages in Ireland are
far higher than in Wales. FAI Prize money for instance FAI Champions: £265,000 Runners Up: £100,000 Cup Winners: £100,000 |
* | Ireland is only "joined" to N.Ireland which offers no football attraction | ||||||
| Bigger
Irish clubs tend to play in Dublin with a population of more than a million
to draw from, these include Bohemians, UCD, Shelbourne, St Patricks, Shamrock
Rovers |
||||||||
| * | more than 90% of Welsh people live within 2 hours travel to a EFL club | |||||||
| * | more than half Welsh people live in close proximity to well established rugby clubs | |||||||
| …will increase media attention as no | * | which overlooks the notion of supporters happy with a break from football | ||||||
| one else will be active in the summer | * |
which ignores the
World Cup and Nations Cup which
occur every two years |
||||||
|
* | & Olympic, World & Commonwealth Games | ||||||
| * | & Rugby World Cup | |||||||
| * | & Live TV coverage of Seven Test Matches, plus 20/20 and 50 over matches. | |||||||
| * | & Live TV coverage Wimbledon fortnight | |||||||
| * | & TV coverage of pre-season tournaments | |||||||
| "MEDIA ATTENTION" FOR SUMMER 2008 |
||
| MAY 2008 |
||
| May
14th |
UEFA
Cup Final |
Live coverage ITV |
| May
15-19th |
England
v New Zealand 1st Test Match Cricket |
Live on Sky Sports |
| May
17th |
FA
Cup Final |
Live coverage BBC & Sky Sports |
| May
21st |
Champions
League Final |
Live coverage ITV |
| May
23-27th |
England
v New Zealand 2nd Test Match Cricket |
Live on Sky Sports |
| JUNE 2008 |
||
| June
1st |
South
Africa v Wales Rugby Union |
Live on Sky Sports |
| June
5-9th |
England
v New Zealand 3rd Test Match Cricket |
Live on Sky Sports |
| June
8th |
South
Africa v Wales Rugby Union |
Live on Sky Sports |
| June
7th |
European
Championship opening fixtures |
Live coverage on BBC & ITV |
| June
13-16th |
US
Open Golf Championship |
Live on Sky Sports |
| June
15-28th |
Five
One Day Cricket Tests England v New Zealand |
Live on Sky Sports |
| June
23rd to 6th July |
Wimbledon
- All England Tennis Championship |
Live coverage on BBC |
| June
29th |
European
Championship Final |
Live coverage on BBC |
| JULY 2008 |
||
| July 6-7th |
Wimbledon
Finals Weekend |
Live coverage on BBC |
| July
10-14th |
England
v South Africa 1st Test Match Cricket |
Live on Sky Sports |
| July 12 |
Tranmere
Rovers v Liverpool (3pm Saturday) |
Live on Setanta Sports |
| July
18-22nd |
England
v South Africa 2nd Test Match Cricket |
Live on Sky Sports |
| July
30th to 3rd Aug |
England
v South Africa 3rd Test Match Cricket |
Live on Sky Sports |
| AUGUST 2008 |
||
| August
1st |
Feyenoord
Tournament Celtic v Spurs |
Live on Sky Sports |
| August
1st |
Feyenoord
Tournament Feyenoord v Borussia Dortmund |
Live on Sky Sports |
| August
2nd |
Emirates
Cup Real Madrid v Hamburg |
Live on Sky Sports |
| August
2nd |
Emirates
Cup Arsenal v Juventus |
Live on Sky Sports |
| August
7-11th |
England
v South Africa 4th Test Match Cricket |
Live on Sky Sports |
| August
9th |
Birmingham
City v Sheffield United (Championship) |
Live on Sky Sports |
| August
9th |
Amsterdam
Tournament Arsenal v Seville |
Live on Sky Sports |
| August
10th |
Notts
Forest v Reading (Championship) |
Live on Sky Sports |
| August
12th |
Chester
City v Leeds United (Carling Cup) |
Live on Sky Sports |
