andymc10 6 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 On SSN NowSPL Start Date: Easing Fixture Congestion and Boosting UEFA CoefficientWith the SPL announcing 23 July as the start date for season 2011-2012, there will no doubt be questions over how this decision was reached. And, for those SPL clubs who wish to participate in overseas tournaments in July, what the implications are for them. This blog is intended to explain just that.HistoryOver the past 13 years of SPL history, the season start date has been set anywhere between 28 July and 15 August. On five occasions the SPL season has started in July, on four occasions in the first week of August and, on four occasions also, the second week of August.PreferenceIn most seasons, there is a clear divide between the preferences of SPL clubs.For those clubs who are fortunate enough to be invited to take part in lucrative friendly matches or tournaments overseas, a later season start date in August is preferable. This allows them to take part in, and earn good money from, those matches, before the SPL season kicks off.For the other clubs, an early season start date is generally preferred – enabling supporters to bathe in the July sunshine while they support their team. The earlier a season starts, the fewer mid-week fixtures in December, January and February need to be scheduled. And with mid-week games in winter generally suffering from lower attendances than in the summer, an earlier season start date doesn’t just help cash flow; it boosts a club’s overall turnover.Hence the reason why, at this time of year, the SPL Board has a difficult balancing act to undertake: trying to accommodate the conflicting desires of its 12 member clubs.Strategic PlanOne of the key aspects of our Strategic Plan for Scottish football is to move towards an earlier season start date – but not to schedule against World Cup or European Championship matches in June and early July. Such a change has a number of sound footballing and commercial reasons to support it:• The earlier a season starts, the more battle-hardened SPL players are by the time they compete in the early stages of European completion. Last year for example, Hibernian, Celtic and Dundee United all fell at the first hurdle in Europe. The Swiss, by contrast, seem to punch above their weight in the early stages of European competition. They kick off their domestic programme early in July and attribute much of their European success to their early start date at home. The better that SPL teams do in Europe, the higher the Scottish coefficient; and the more Champions League places that Scottish teams are awarded, creating a virtuous circle benefiting all SPL teams.• There is no doubt that it is simply a much more pleasant experience going to a game in the warm summer sun on a July Saturday than having to brave the snow and ice on a mid-week February evening – a move that can surely only boost attendances at games.• By kicking off and concluding our season at the same time as the English, we are diluting the appeal of our games to broadcasters. In contrast, by starting our season ahead of the Premier League, at a time when there is a real shortage of football on TV, we allow our broadcast partners to properly showcase SPL football to the whole of the UK and the rest of the World. And this will inevitably drive more interest (and more broadcast income) in the Scottish game.However, it is also important that we recognise the large sums of money that can be earned by some of our clubs in July tournaments. Celtic, for example, have been invited to participate in the Dublin Super Cup, which takes place over the weekend of 30 and 31 July this summer. The Strategic Plan takes account of this. In future seasons, post-merger with the SFL, it may be possible to reconfigure the League Cup to create the sort of flexibility that would be required. At the moment however, such flexibility cannot be built into the fixturing of league matches.The solutionAs a one-off solution therefore, the SPL Board has decided on a compromise. The season will kick off on 23 July, but clubs will be able to request a postponement of one fixture early next season. This will achieve the early season start desired by the majority – but will also cater for the desire of some clubs to take part in other tournaments.Fixturing is a notoriously emotive area. Trying to shoe-horn so many games into a fixed period is an extremely difficult task – and one where SPL Secretary Iain Blair is simply unable to please everyone all of the time. There is no ideal solution that suits all clubs. What’s vital is that any decision is fair, balanced and in the overall interests of all clubs. And I am confident that the decision on our start date for next season is precisely that.It will help teams in European competition and is therefore good for the UEFA coefficient. It will reduce fixture congestion and the number of unpopular winter mid-week games later in the season. It will boost clubs' incomes and increase the value of SPL games to broadcasters. And it's what fans tell us they want. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin93 136 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 happy with that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan_1 1,136 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 In the long term, that's a good desicion IMO.However we could need the season extented if we go all the way in all of our competitons and we are to fufill our fixtures. Players could only have a couple of weeks off, before they are to return to pre-season training. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinGers93 388 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Very happy with this decision Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplythebest 11,453 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Good decision.But they'll be a few Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday sequences to deal with early on. Whether we finish 1st or 2nd we're looking at an early start with the European qualifiers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRodgA2k8 542 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I like this Should hopefully give clubs a better chance in Europe's early stages of qualification!Could solve any potential issues with fixture congestion too.Can't see any negatives here.But they'll be a few Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday sequences to deal with early on. Whether we finish 1st or 2nd we're looking at an early start with the European qualifiers.Gets the players up to speed quicker instead of the possibility of getting cold in those qualifiers ala the Kaunas game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxwellrfc 6 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Happy enough with this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogbg 20 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Good decision.But they'll be a few Saturday-Wednesday-Saturday sequences to deal with early on. Whether we finish 1st or 2nd we're looking at an early start with the European qualifiers.True, but at least they'll be match fit after an earlier pre-season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan_1 1,136 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 All in all, it's probably the best decision the SPL have made in years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRodgA2k8 542 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 The SPL does something everyone seems to agree on...shocker!! I get back from Vegas on the 22nd so I'm back just in time for the first fixtures Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueben_d 40 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Correct decision, they should announce this much much earlier though so that clubs can prepare their friendly pre season commitments accordingly and organisers of pre season tournaments take this into account when inviting SPL teams.Cant beat going to a game in a tshirt and not worry about how cold it is! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplythebest 11,453 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 How possible will this be in the summers of international tournements? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosesMcNeil 1,664 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Great, and one step closer to summer fitba I hope Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRodgA2k8 542 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 How possible will this be in the summers of international tournements?Well do we have players who'll make the latter stages? In all seriousness the season would probably end earlier anyways so there is time for a bit of a break there for the internationally involved. Can't see a big deal there and even at that they could delay by a week.Remember at the end of the next season the Euro Championships take place so I'm sure they've already considered how this works out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
caseyjones 3,009 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Great idea, especially helpful to us with Euro qualifiers likely in the next few seasons.Well done, SPL. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlippinEck 3,705 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Should always be on the cards, the earlier the start, the slightly better chance our teams have of navigating European qualifiersNew season will start 2 days before my birthday, used to going to a glamour friendly around that time though... Hope we have some kind of tournament lined up again! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muff 245 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 So it's OK to move fixtures for friendlies, but not for a European Final... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
beenie 42 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 looks good to me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zappa6995 3,645 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 At last a reasonable decision from the suits.It makes a pleasant change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingWilBEARy 4,319 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 SPL is good decision shocker. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Govan Front Antz 15 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Fuckin morons I am on holiday then!They should have introduced this the following season, not just in fuckin February. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark. 69 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 Bollocks! I fly out to Florida for 2 weeks on the 23rd Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerbouse53 0 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 excellent Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kplfishtank 4,656 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 so the earls have a tourney in dublin on 30th july.....what team gets a free weekend this early.this should have been voted for and then implimented in season 2012/3 thus giving teams the time not to arrange the glamour friendlies/tournaments Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markybear 136 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 It fucking took them long enough to work that out, about fucking time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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