Introducting a winter for the premier league

[toplad4u]

Gabby's just been of the OS saying that there should be winter break. I'm for it but were would it fit in and for how long??

I'd suggest a week into January for 4 weeks what's everyones thoughts?

Quotes from OS:

And Agbonlahor suggests such a winter break can aid a national team in summer tournaments.

"I think we need a winter break," he said. "I am sure that some of the teams that did well (in South Africa) like Germany they have a winter break.

"I think we should try it for a season. It would help with the weather that you get around that time and it's not very good weather for football."

[UK Redsox]

I'm not in favour of a Winter break.

The main reason given is that it'll help the national team. However, since I don't give a flying feck about the England team, I'd keep the winter games.

I'd prefer to see a couple of weeks lopped off the beginning or end of the season

[Dan England]

NO, NO, NO and NO.

Do a proper days work and they might understand what tired really is.

[Guy M]

What, so the "big clubs" can take their clubs abroad for more money-spinning tours and to push their brands further? Because that's what this is really about.

If the PL were to reduce the league to 18 clubs as they originally said they would, fitting in a winter break wouldn't be a problem. But that's not going to happen, is it Mr Scudamore?

‘Mr Capello might want one but I can’t see where the momentum is going to come to reduce our league from 20 to 18 clubs.

‘It would be daft to do that when you have a global property of our strength.

‘We have 380 games and you’re not going to go down to 306 – why are you going to do that when people like Uefa are increasing the number of dates of their competitions?’

Global property? What the f**k?!

Whilst I agree with his assertion that UEFA are increasing the number of dates of their competitions (Champions League, I'm looking in your direction), this doesn't disguise the fact that the PL haven't done what they said they would, aren't looking like they ever will and ultimately that we DO NOT NEED a winter break.

Our clubs already have some of the biggest professional squads. We have comparatively mild winters. Even the most recent winter caused relatively little disturbance to fixtures in the grand scheme of things and we had more snow then than we have had for years.

The winter break is just another way for clubs to try and exploit their increased profile. What's interesting is that this must be the first time that the clubs and the PL will stand on opposing sides when it comes how to best bleed more money from the consumer as the clubs will surely retain the television rights to their own friendlies and can then sell them as they see fit.

The players? They're just too stupid to realise that a winter break means still training and travelling where the club tells them as opposed to f**king off to Dubai with whichever permatanned trollope they happen to be shagging that month.

[peter w]

I don't think there needs to be a winter break as our winters aren't that harsh. A long one last year but other then that? Play one less game over the christmas period and alls right.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Mid winter break?

Villa's season is usually over by the second week in January anyway, after Man United have knocked us out of the Cup

[Monty]

Yes. It would actually help the league stay competitive as well, as clubs with smaller squads don't get the drop off that always happens during or just after the winter break. Of course, it doesn't always make up for the difference between clubs (Barca and Real dominate regardless, for instance), but in Germany and France it has significantly helped clubs with not the biggest squads, such as Schalke and Bordeaux, retain a degree of competitiveness over the course of a whole season. I think we would have hada far greater chance to get into the CL over both of the last couple of years if the PL had a winter break.

As for where it should fall, I'm also a bit of a traditionalist so would definitely keep the Boxing Day games, and possibly the New Year's Day ones as well (or rather, bring them back). January's the month where the most games are usually called off anyway, so it would make sense to have it then. It would also allow clubs to use the January transfer window more effectively.

[Small Rodent]

No.

The clubs can't be trusted not to tire out players in money-spinning trips abroad. And if they didn't, Prem players would have nothing to focus their minds and get into all sorts of bother for a month.

[The Man With A Stick]

I think it's inevitable in the next ten years, but don't agree with it.  It's not exactly a hard life.  The only people that get more time off than footballers are students.

[ADVILLAFAN]

If we get a winter break I might be forced to see and talk to my family around Christmas time, terrible idea.

[Pete3206]

Whatever everyone else says.

A winter break would mean things like "The Sky Christmas Cup" or "The Dubai Champions Winter Invitation"

No thanks.

[darren woolley]

I dont think we should have a winter break but then again i am old school.

[Small Rodent]

I think it's inevitable in the next ten years,

The effects of global warming!

[nicardinho]

Can you think of any more exciting period in the league than at Christmas? A thin coating of snow on the pitch, orange balls if we're lucky, it's just like how it was in the day.

3 games in a week? It's my idea of Villa heaven (except this time around, when the bastard's at the PL give us Tottenham, Man City and Chelsea :grrr: )

A break would absolutely spoil that, particularly as it wouldn't even be a total break. Players would still be training, and I would bet my house that some quick round robin tournament would sneak in somewhere, in the '39th game!' second coming.

[villasjf]

Ok say we have a mid season break for 2 weeks in January and the weather is fine then we get heavy snow or frost for 4 weeks and the health and safety buffs shut down football because people might slip over walking to the match. We get a fixture backlog and then they moan that they are playing twice a week. So the answer is NO