But, We Were On A Break, Part 2

Last week I wrote a blog on this very website, where I called for the International Break to end in football.

I also promised you that we at www.football-business.co.uk  would come up with some solutions to improve this situation and I will do just that, but before I do I need to correct an error in last weeks – and indeed an error which makes the situation even worse.

Last week I wrote: [and then in October football] “resumes again for good.”

I was perusing the fixtures the other day and I found that there is another week with no football in November. That will be the third since the season started.

This nonsense has to end.

So, in a bid to help the authorities I am going to come up with some suggestions that cold stop this happening in future seasons.

So starting with the most radical:

1) Scrap friendlies and allow all qualifiers to be played at the end of the season.

Controversial, but surely the players would like this? There can’t be many players who actually want to these meaningless games and it would be a good warm up for the big international tournaments as players would get practice at playing a number of important and big games in an intensive period.

The downside to this of course is, to take England as an example, that Wembley would lose out on money, and the boss of the national team is basically working part time (which would save The FA some money!) but is  that a really bad thing?

If that one is too much for you then try this:

2) Go back to playing them in midweek’s. Again, taking England as an example, yes that will mean people from other parts of the country having to have day’s off before they go to the match, but I’d make two points here: firstly England played Bulgaria on a Friday so what’s the difference? And second they always used to be in on Wednesday’s (I remember watching them on Sportsnight as a boy).

And there might be some bleating about players being overworked or whatever, but to that I say: tough. If a highly paid athlete can’t play two games a week then really, what is the world coming to?

And if the second idea (which I do like actually) isn’t something you favour then how about….

3) Just make teams play without their international players. Ok, I can hear managers all round the country throwing their hands up in horror, but again, I say: “bad luck.” It would force bosses to think about the players they sign (I get similarly annoyed by managers that sign African players then bleat about the African Nations Cup…..its not like they don’t know that its coming!!) and it give younger players a chance.

And crucially it happens in other sports. Right now the rugby world cup is going on. Has the Premier League in the oval ball stopped? Not a bit of it.

The other week, England played Ireland in a rather pointless One Day International match. The England team themselves clearly thought it was pointless because Team Director, Andy Flower didn’t go to the match, and neither did a number of the senior players. In their place a number of up and coming youngsters were selected.

Laudable, you would think, except that game fell slap bang in the middle of a vital round of County Championship matches. But did the Counties concerned bleat, moan and get upset? Well, yes actually, but they all got in with the job.

And it’s a lesson that football could learn – but probably won’t.

But for now, please join us as Football Business as we start our campaign to give these friendlies the sack.

If I was a tabloid headline writer I might say this: Lets Get Friendlies Fired…..

But, We Were On A Break Part 1

So, despite only starting up again barely a month ago after the summer recess, football in the top two divisions in England resumes, yet again, tomorrow.

This time, with the odious transfer window slammed firmly shut for a few months (another blog for another day!) there is a real sense of “right ok, the season can really start now.”

Except after four more league games it stops.

Again.

Before resuming in October for good.

And the reason for this? Our old friend, the international break.

Now, at the risk of giving my age away here (www.football-business.co.uk UK staff are older than we look!) it doesn’t seem all that long ago – but in reality was probably 20 years ago, the same as most things that seem recent turn out to be! – that internationals were played on a Wednesday and players played for their clubs in the Saturday before and the weekend after.

Then somewhere along the line, this all changed and instead we have a series of breaks to allow managers and players to “prepare.”

Except the players themselves don’t seem overly impressed with this. Wayne Rooney, for example, tweeted the other day: “longest day ever….” And I know as a supporter that isn’t a great weekend when there’s no football.

There was a piece on Radio5live on Tuesday when I was driving home from the football Business offices regarding the lack of interest in the England Internationals. The landlord from the South Bank Sports Bar in Nottingham (a pub I have been in a few times to fair) was on saying that for the Bulgaria game the clientele was “your normal Friday night crowd, no one seemed all that interested in the game.” While the reporter said that it was “dead” in Nottingham’s pubs before the Wales match.” Granted it was half 5 or so, but still.

So it begs the question: Is anybody (and by this I mean fans AND players) really interested in those games?  Or are they merely a distraction from the real (in the case of the fans) and money spinning (in the case of the players) business of club football?

Managers too, have been lining up to crticise the breaks, for example Tony Pulis called international friendlies “a waste of space,” with Neil Warnock being even more vocal (which makes a change….) and calling them “meaningless” and “pathetic” yesterday before adding: "[Can you imagine] if you'd had a player playing for Holland and he pulled a hamstring or did an injury and was out for six months in a game that they won 11-0 against San Marino?”

And if you think that can’t happen – just ask poor Dean Ashton….

It would be remiss of us at football business to criticise something and not come up with any solutions for how to make things better - so we will.

Next week – keep ‘em peeled! Ideas, you bet! Some of them might even be sensible…..
So this weekend enjoy the football! Whether it be the proper stuff (that’s 5 or 6 a side, especially if its in one of our franchised leagues….) or the 11 a side imposters that charge a fortune.
Have a good one!