EPL Winter break - For or against

[Northstandboy]

So the BBC are reporting that Premier League are considering a January winter break when the next TV rights deal is agreed.

The break would be in January, so wouldn't affect the Christmas period.

My worry is that if it is proved a good decision, that the Football League might also decide to have a break which would be boring as! But on the other hand, if there is no EPL on, the EFL might get more matches shown on TV, therefore more TV money?

What would happen the the FA Cup matches that are played in Jan?

What are your thoughts?

 

[MJB]

Couldn’t give a hoot what the Premier League does as I have no real interest in their show ponies and circuses.

As you say, the bigger concern would be that the FL follows suit. However I think that unlikely as they are likely to see this as an opportunity to get more exposure (and money!) by filling in for the empty TV schedules.

I wouldn’t be particularly happy about us specifically having fixtures moved about if chosen for TV but, being a pragmatist by nature, the extra money from a new deal would of course be good and if it meant we didn’t lose a month mid-season I’d be happier still.

Also, I’m not sure how relevant it would be to FL as presumably part of the rationale for this is that it would lessen the impact on those playing in European matches and those playing in international tournaments. Not exactly going concerns for us at the moment!

 

[Marked Ox]

I wouldn't want a winter break. It would make the season even more compressed unless the season is extended again, which I'm not in favour of either.

This isn't such a problem for the PL who play less games in the league. Fixture lists can get busy already towards the end of the season such as when we had our cup runs in previous seasons or due to a bad weather spell. A winter break could easily exacerbate this.

 

[andystroud]

Strongly against this.
When is ‘winter’ anyway? Take time off in January (how many games were lost to weather last month?) then what happens if we have bad weather in February?
The EPL teams won’t have a break, they will go on global tours to bolster their offseas following.
As for the FA Cup they will probably enter in the 4th Round which will further dilute the chance of cup upsets.

 

[Gary Baldi]

They can maintain a TV schedule and still give players a break.

Regardless, teams should be stopped from playing lucrative friendlies abroad or travelling away for training while the break is happening. Players say they need rest, so rest is what they should have.

Which won't happen

 

[unification]

Under what pretence is this happening? To stop burnout of the PL players or another FA inspired attempt to improve the England team? Considering the PL sends more players than any other to the World Cup and Euros every two years, the latter option is redundant.

It makes no difference to me. Personally, I like the prospect of Boxing Day fixtures and chilly away days in the winter so it would be a shame to lose them. Sky must be fretting though unless they get the rights to ‘Manchester United vs Real Madrid LIVE FROM ABU DHABI!!!!’ ahead of BT Sport …

 

[Sarge]

Whatafucking bunch of prima Dona snowflakes in the PL ! ..... football was both a working class sport and a winter sport .....the proper hard men of pre gentrification would eat today's' squeal if theyre looked at weeds masquerading as top flight players for a mere snack...... chopper harris, bite yer legs hunter and others, including our own Rambo , must be laughing at this latest proposal and follow through with a blind side headbutt

 

[Concretebob]

Couldn't care less about the greedy premier league. Just as long as we don't have a winter break.

 

[Matt W]

Don't they get Christmas day off?

 

[holdsteady]

Most premier league players are wealthy enough to retire and never work again, yet they find football such a chore just give it up. They want more and more for doing less and less, its a non contact sport now and they won't play with the slightest strain, have squad rotation etc.

About the only thing that makes the winter manageable is football, I have a season ticket for Oxford and a sky sports subscription, I don't want a break at the most miserable time of the year, it helps me get through it. For a branch of the entertainment industry football doesn't half dislike it's paying public.

I wonder what sky and BT think about this, they pay a fortune and bankroll the premier league only to have them take a break at a time when they have a willing audience and swan off to the middle east, China and the us to play lucrative friendlies.

 

[MalaysiaYellow]

I have a different view. I don't care about Prem or even Championship, but L1 and below players don't get paid that much. So why not have a winter break say from just before Christmas to just after New Year so they can celebrate just like the rest of us. And extend the league to finish mid to end of June. Most of us get 4 weeks holiday each year so why not players get the same?

 

[holdsteady]

They get 4 weeks holiday in the summer, plus plenty of time off during the season, it’s a part time job.

You would do away with xmas football? A time that’s a money spinner for most clubs.

 

[stokeu]

I'd play soccer in the summer, would help my facepaint stick. imagine turning up on 20th July to see Watford vs Stoke in a balmy 23 degrees to see all those players with no gloves and still not being able to buy a decent beer at a reasonable price - immense.

 

[holdsteady]

With the british summer it would just be slightly less cold, a balmy 14 degrees

 

[Craig]

Couldn't care less about the greedy premier league. Just as long as we don't have a winter break.

It seems like the EFL are already involved and will be part of the decision.

Quote from Sky Sports: "The Premier League has been in discussions with the FA and EFL for several months regarding the challenges of the increasingly congested English football calendar, and ways in which we can work together to ease fixture congestion while also giving players a mid-season break."

But no, I would rather not have a winter break.

 

[Marked Ox]

With the british summer it would just be slightly less cold, a balmy 14 degrees

That's a heatwave.

 

[Essexyellows]

Load of #modernfootball B*****s. Another step down the road of boredom & sterility......... who wouldn`t want a trip up the M6 in the snow mid-week..

 

[Northstandboy]

Looks like it will go ahead for the EPL. Meaning FA Cup 5th round will be midweek with no replays:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/winter-break-agreed-after-fa-cup-move-pjb7jlkjb

 

[Oldham]

Be just our luck that we’d be on a 15 game unbeaten run leading up to the winter break, then the momentum is lost, And we end up where we are now!

 

[Northstandboy]

Be just our luck that we’d be on a 15 game unbeaten run leading up to the winter break, then the momentum is lost, And we end up where we are now!

No whilst we are in the EFL. Only EPL are having the winter break.