Jamie1807 146 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 The Scottish Premier League is considering scheduling matches on Friday afternoons in April in an attempt to clear the fixture backlog.SPL secretary Iain Blair is trying to prevent some clubs playing four games in eight days to complete 33 fixtures before the 16 April league split. "We've got Bank Holidays in April - the Friday before Easter, the Friday of the Royal wedding," he told BBC Scotland. "The police have never had a problem with Friday afternoon games." Previously, the police have warned against staging matches on Friday evenings. The SPL and the Scottish Football League have been badly affected by the harsh winter weather that has caused pitches to be frozen and flooded and roads leading to stadia made treacherous. In addition, there have been a series of Scottish Cup replays, and Rangers have enjoyed an extended run in Europe: they face Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League on 17 and 24 February. The Ibrox side and Celtic have a Scottish Cup fifth-round replay on Wednesday 2 March and also meet in the final of the Co-operative Insurance Cup on 20 March. Blair hopes all 12 clubs will have fulfilled 33 fixtures by the split in mid-April, although in previous seasons there have been instances of teams playing games in hand after the split. "Dundee United and Hamilton have got a bit of a backlog but most of those games are allocated to various dates," said Blair on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound programme. "The games that are not allocated are principally the games involving Rangers and that is in part down to waiting to see what happens against Sporting Lisbon and hopefully rounds after that."It will certainly create fixture congestion but if that is caused by the success of a Scottish team in Europe, then I am all for it." The league secretary insists he is not keen for a repeat of Rangers' exertions in 2008, when they faced four matches in eight days, but added that his options are limited. He said: "It is something we try to avoid but we have to get most of the games played up to game 33 so we know who is in the top six and the bottom six so we can produce the fixtures for the next part of the fixtures after the split. "There have been some informal discussions with the clubs affected. There is an appreciation that we will do everything we can to give clubs as much chance as possible in all competitions. "But there is also a realisation that there are only seven days in a week and so many weeks to the split. It is not an ideal situation. "I don't have control over the League Cup or the Scottish Cup or the Europa League. "If there is another way of playing four games in eight days that is the option we will go for." Dundee United, with 20, are the club who have played the fewest games this season while Rangers and Hamilton have each got three rearranged games to play. Asked if the date for the league split could be pushed back from its current slot of Sunday 17 April, Blair added: "The week which contains Wednesday 20 April, immediately after the (Scottish Cup) semi-final, is available. If you push fixture 33 back to the weekend of 23, 24, 25 April it does create a bit of space but it also creates a lot of uncertainty. "We have had some conversations with the police about that possibility. They understand the situation the weather has brought us to and appear willing to work with us." Blair warns against a "knee-jerk reaction" to the problems caused by the winter weather, pointing out that the SPL schedule was rarely disrupted in the eight years prior to the two recent harsh winters that have hit Scotland. And while he describes Scottish Cup replays as "something we could do without", though the decision of member clubs, Blair is keen for clubs affected by fixture congestion to understand that his role is to do what is his best for the league as a whole. He said: "What I have to try to do is to look at it from all 12 clubs point of view at the same time and it may well be that the best overall balance for all 12 actually means that there are one or two or three that, from their perspective, feel as if there has been a disadvantage. "It is the overall balance that really maintains the integrity of the competition." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1st_Jan_1994 4,868 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Friday afternoons? what about the poor cunts that's out working hard to pay for their season tickets? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escobar 13,676 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Could be interesting, would make the attendances even lower, due to people working and traffic etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc1872 2 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 No school for me in April then Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesyboy93 2 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Thats ok if you could make it people work etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie1807 146 Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 Did there used to be games on Friday nights?I'm sure I've got an old programme from the early 90s and the match was a Friday evening.That would be better than games in the afternoon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1st_Jan_1994 4,868 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Did there used to be games on Friday nights?I'm sure I've got an old programme from the early 90s and the match was a Friday evening.That would be better than games in the afternoon.Police have went on record loads saying no to Friday night games.I imagine it's because they are stretched enough with people out in town at night. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunslinger 270 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 only proles work bank holidays. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxwellrfc 6 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I wouldn't be opposed to Friday night games but if they're gonna have them on Friday afternoons they'll be playin in front of an empty stadium. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
papaguy51 912 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 If it eases fixture congestion then fair enough.Winning the title is the most important thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KERRZO 5 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 They named 2 holiday Fridays, its not like you could do it as a regular occurence. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplythebest 11,453 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Bank holidays, there's games on during the day all the time in England in bank holidays. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryh818 7 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Am I missing the point here, but surely if we were free to play on the Friday then we would be free on the Saturday also? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksen_da_best 2,034 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Am I missing the point here, but surely if we were free to play on the Friday then we would be free on the Saturday also?I think its so we can actually play another Game on monday, then another game on the Thursday, then another game on Sunday. I think. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
God Bless The Papac 32 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 the only reason to play a friday is to also play the sunday to ease the fixtures Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
barryh818 7 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I think its so we can actually play another Game on monday, then another game on the Thursday, then another game on Sunday. I think.Bloody well hope thats no the case.I'm one of the few people thats actually in favour of the split, but this shit about teams having to play all there games before the split is fucking ridiculous. Its the SPL's fault for introducing the split so it should be them putting the split back to accomodate us rather us having to accomodate them.Rangers getting punished for their mistakes. It shouldnt be this way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonkgers 3 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Previously, the police have warned against staging matches on Friday evenings. The police in this country are a fucking joke, it's them that run Scottish football not the Clubs, SPL, SFL or Sky! It's time they manned up and done the same work as their european counterparts! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplythebest 11,453 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Friday Monday Thursday Sunday isn't too bad, there's at least a two day gap between all of them. It's not ideal clearly but it's still not anywhere near the 07/08 situation, another final run really isn't that likely so i'd hope the players can handle it. People seem to be getting ready with excuses already, but the fact is if we lose the league we'll only have ourselves to blame. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon 1,744 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I would love this! Fuck work! Friday game of football then out for a bevvy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL.I.AM 18 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Its only bank holiday Friday and Monday they are talking about. People work on bank holidays but people work on Saturdays and Sundays aswell so someone is always going to lose. 3pm Kick Off on a Friday would suit me a finish at 12 on a Friday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RANGERST1LLADIE 33 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Good idea have a game on a Friday afternoon when the majority of people actually work. Al not be happy if this goes ahead. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bothwellbear 1,392 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 it beats playing games back to back Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain1712 336 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 When exactly are these Friday bank holidays in April are they both before the split date on the 16th ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL.I.AM 18 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 When exactly are these Friday bank holidays in April are they both before the split date on the 16th ?The SPL said they wer doing this so the split could still go ahead on the 16th but I just checked and there isn't any bank holidays before it???Good friday is the 22nd thats the next bank holiday. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueben_d 40 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 A lot of people won't be working due to the bank holidays, some people will be and will miss out. Bad news for them but they have to think of the club first and foremost and this could well be the best solution.If you can think of a better solution then I'm sure they would be open to it. They can't really extend the split much as we get into internationals again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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