Does BPL need a holiday break?
BY JAKE LEWIS - FAN FUEL BLOGGER
As the Christmas and New Year Barclays Premier League fixtures wrap up, as many coaches are counting the cost in terms of injuries, as owners are counting the money they have banked from the busiest two weeks of domestic soccer each year.
While Europe's other leagues take a two week break for Christmas, English soccer serves up some of its juiciest match-ups, including the third Round of the FA Cup, which is the first round that all BPL teams play. Teams play six games between December 18th and January 6th, an average of one game every three days.
Have your say: Have an opinion on the news of the day? Better yet, want to join the Fan Fuel blog network? Visit the Fan Fuel page for more | Is there an MLS salary cap?
This places a huge strain on players and often results in a great number of injuries. Manchester United even had to draft a retired player into their squad this week! The situation is worsened by some of the poorest weather conditions for games with a combination of cold, wet and windy weather often coming at this time of year, creating ideal conditions for player injuries.
On the flip side, for the fan, whether you are going to a game or watching at home, there is literally a game to watch every day except Christmas Day. This is quite the festival of football during a period when many fans enjoy additional time off.
This results in much greater revenues for clubs due to increased ticket revenues, a combination of more spectators and higher priced tickets for these games, and TV revenues which include a premium for this "hot" period for TV companies and sponsors.
For years the debate has raged, fanned by big name managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson who have been consistent in complaining about the fixture congestion and the toll on players, but the "money" argument has, inevitably, always won out.
For me though, a compromise is required. Keep the Christmas soccerfest, but cut it one game short, by taking a two week break right after New Year. Re-open the season with the FA Cup fixture. This will provide coaches with a clear break to aim for when it comes to managing their squads, and particularly in handling injuries. For the FA Cup, which is in need of a PR boost, it will make the first weekend much more anticipated, as fans get hungry for the season to re-start.
One of the side benefits for English fans could be an improvement in England's performances in World Cup and Euro tournaments. National coach after national coach has long complained that the players are burned out by the time the summer comes; perhaps the winter break will help?
Related read:
More Soccer: The crowning of Barcelona
Want to write for us? Email us at fanfuel@sportsnet.ca and follow us on twitter @SN_FanFuel
Fan Fuel is a blog with content supplied entirely by our passionate sports fans, plucked from our own Communities to write about the sports, teams and players that matter most to them.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the Fan Fuel bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of Sportsnet, its parent, affiliated companies or any employee thereof. Sportsnet is not responsible for the accuracy of any information supplied by the Fan Fuel bloggers. See Sportsnet terms of use.
