Cork City manager John Caulfield wants midweek fixtures to be scrapped in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division amid growing complaints about scheduling problems and overload on players and supporters.
Monday night will bring another full round of games in a busy period which is brought about by cup competitions, postponements and the introduction of the new 10-team league – with three more league fixtures than last year.
Some teams will 13 or 14 matches over a two-month period around April and May.
The FAI Cup is fast-tracked over August and September - which in turn leaves empty weekends for teams if eliminated at an early stage that could fill in - but that is hard to plan for - and European competitions also make it important to play league games earlier in the season.
The Cork boss is keen to maintain the mid-season break but wants a change to how many games are played in the first half of the season, with over 60% of games played before mid-summer.
He told Soccer Republic Extra podcast: "To be honest it's unfair on the players. Players are picking up injuries. It's unfair on supporters. Supporters can't get to away games. Even home games are difficult because we are a family-supported club and kids can't go to matches because of school.
"Friday-Monday-Friday needs to be examined. No work shop has taken place, no discussion has taken place. Keith Long made fantastic points last week. We need to discuss these things.
"It's a rush and there really is no need. We can easily extend the season by two or three weeks or turn the cup competitions into midweek games. A league game should only be played on a weekend until there is a postponement in my opinion.
"The mid-season break is only a week and I still think the break is handy. I still feel the season could be extended until the end of November and that would sort our problems.
"On reflection when we look back, in the first half of the season having so many games is too tough and too hard on players and supporters."
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The issue for the FAI, the league's governing body, is not everyone shares the same view. Part-time clubs that struggle to pay wages are reluctant to extend the season as it will add to their outlay, but the number of midweek games also reduces average attendances so it is a double-edged sword.
Pat Fenlon, a guest on this week’s podcast and a consultant for Waterford FC owner Lee Power, feels it is up to the clubs to communicate together and with the FAI to iron out the problem.
He wants to see a consensus formed that keeps as many parties as possible happy and sees the Premier Clubs Alliance (PCA), the body that represents clubs when speaking to the FAI in grouped form, help deal with it.
Fenlon, who has participated in the PCA, knows it will be difficult to solve the problem but feels it can’t be ignored.
Speaking on this week’s episode, he said: "I listen to people being critical of the FAI on this. But I think the clubs have to stand up and be counted. A lot of the clubs are happy for the season to be short. It means less wages to be paid each week and I understand that because of financial pressures.
"The season is so condensed and we have such a long off-season. How did we address that? Getting the balance right is what is needed. Once you sign the participation agreement, you accept the rules.
"But there has to be a little bit of communication and talk about how to make the product better.
"It's a difficult one. There is talks. I have been lucky enough to sit in on the Premier Club Alliance. It's very interesting. There is a lot of good stuff going on there at the moment with the league and how we can develop it.
"It's an unusual league that we do have contracts that go from 30 weeks to 52 weeks in other clubs [all based on what resources the club’s have].
"Trying to find what suits everybody is going to be very difficult. It's about communication. That's the one thing that had been lacking over a period of time.
"There is communication at the moment and ongoing talks about issues."
The podcast also hears from goalkeeper Brendan Clarke on his career so far and other managers on their views on the scheduling.
Listen to the latest episode of Soccer Republic Extra or subscribe on iTunes.
