I hope lessons will be learned as a result of the 2018 SSE Airtricity League Premier Division fixture list.
This topic has been spoken about by players and managers and pundits for the last number of weeks, and thankfully, the main period of congestion has just finished.
They will say it’s to avoid fixture pile-ups for the teams in Europe, to facilitate the FAI Cup and also due to the fact that there are three extra games this season in the league and to save clubs money.
The teams in Europe should be given all the help they need to help them progress, but by the time they get to Europe, they may be missing half their squads due to injury.
Let’s take top-of-the-table Dundalk for example.
They beat Shamrock Rovers 2-1 on 6 April, which will be eight weeks ago come tomorrow night’s games.
They’ve played 13 matches since then, including six midweek fixtures, which effectively means they almost played two games per week for two months.
Bottom-of-the-table Bray Wanderers have played 12 matches in the same period. They are part-time, with players who almost all work full-time away from football.
Sligo Rovers 2-1 Bray Wanderers. Watch highlights and the goals from @sligorovers crucial league win over @braywanderers #SoccerRepublic #greatestleagueintheworld pic.twitter.com/D0MuBIIhC7
— Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) May 1, 2018
All of the clubs have played six games in the last 21 days alone.
Did the FAI fixture makers think about dragging the Bray players to Sligo Rovers away for a 7.45 kick-off on a Monday night?
The players and staff would all have had to take half days from work or college, they wouldn’t have been back on their team coach until 10.30pm and back to their cars in Bray until almost 2am, then have to drive home, go to bed, and get up at 6 or 7am for work the next morning.
They then have to train once or twice again that week, before another game on the Friday and another game on the Monday or Tuesday of the next week.
Bohemians would be the same and it’s something that needs to be highlighted.
Cork and Dundalk are the big winners in this situation.
"They must also be mentally worn out and some of them are probably beginning to hate football"
They have bigger squads which can deal better with the fixture congestion as the smaller clubs, with less money, can only put together smaller squads.
The fixture congestion is putting far too much pressure on the clubs who haven’t got the resources to compete with the bigger fish in the league.
Even Waterford in recent weeks have begun picking up injuries to key men like Keegan, Duffus and silly suspensions to Aborah mean they have slipped down the table.
Our players are not only facing physical tiredness and fatigue, they must also be mentally worn out and some of them are probably beginning to hate football.
I’m talking about both the part-time and full-time clubs here, as even the full-time players must be finding it hugely challenging to be playing so many games, in which points matter more than ever before in the league.
Football players are not machines. They need rest, they need time for their bodies and their brains to recover before they can be expected to perform at a good level in their next match, and this has been totally missed.
So how is this damaging the product on the pitch?
The level of quality in the majority of the games in the last two months has been really poor, and this is quite simply down to the number of games.
Now before the barstoolers jump in, I’m not claiming the quality of the games would go up 500% if there was only one match a week, but I am saying that the players and in turn the teams would have a much better chance of performing better and running more etc. That is a fact.
It would also give managers and coaches a chance to actually prepare their team properly during the week from both a technical and tactical point of view leading into their Friday game.
So that’s the competition, but what about the commercial side of things from the clubs and the FAI?
To be honest, the number of fixtures in the past three weeks has made it difficult for me to keep tabs on upcoming fixtures, results and happenings within the league, and I’m a recently retired player, now working in the media, who has a huge interest in the league.
What must that be like to the casual fan, who has work, college, family life etc to balance along with trying to support and get along to their team’s games?
How are clubs supposed to promote and generate interest and a buzz in so many games, and keep their attendances up with so many matches in a short period?
I know some fans who are picking and choosing the games they go to, due to time and also financial reasons.
A family of four with two adults and two kids would easily spend €100 at a game, when you include tickets, transport, food etc, this is not taking into account the cost of going to support your team in an away game.
That is just not affordable
For me, there is a really easy fix to all of this and it’s a very simple one.
Extend the season.
The last round of Premier Division games in 2018 will take place on Friday, 26 October.
If the 2019 season starts at the same time as the 2018 season, that will mean a 15-week off-season, which is actually remarkable when you write it down.
"I would extend the season through until 30 November, adding five extra weeks and maybe even start it a week earlier or drop the summer break"
I would extend the season through until 30 November, adding five extra weeks and maybe even start it a week earlier or drop the summer break, although players do appreciate a week of rest and a holiday in the middle of the season.
This would mean taking out at least five or more of the Friday/Monday fixture weekends which would made a huge difference.
Yes there would be a need for some midweek games, but that may now be once a month, as opposed to two, three, even four times.
This would leave the month of December off, with pre-season starting as usual in January leading into a mid-February kick-off.
Some clubs may argue that they will not be able to afford to pay their players for an extra five weeks, but I would argue that the extra five weeks would enable them to make more money.
They’ll also make more on gate receipts, match sponsorship etc across the earlier part of the season, as attendances would 100% be up at all grounds if the games were more spread out.
Home attendances would certainly be up, but as would away crowds, as fans are more likely to travel on a Friday night to an away game, rather than a Monday with work and school the next day factored in.
The games would also be more attractive to match sponsors, the media and most importantly the players and coaches, who would actually have some time to get ready for, and get excited about their games.
It’s not rocket science; it’s being sensible.
