While Scottish football’s hierarchy have been debating league structures and all the rest of it for what seems like forever, there’s been one point that hasn’t been given the prominence it perhaps should.
I’m not talking about the possible return of alcohol to Scottish grounds, although I reckon that wouldn’t do crowd figures any harm.
Let’s face it, we all know those people who head to the pub before a game, intend to leave for the ground at 2.40pm, but then look at their £20, look at the TV, see Sky Sports reeling off all the scores and think to themselves: ‘I’ll just stay here’.
No, what hasn’t been discussed properly in my opinion is the potential for summer football.
It’s been mentioned in passing time and time again but, unless I’ve missed it, hasn’t been at the heart of the more recent discussions to change our game and entice fans back through the turnstiles.
The simple fact is that it should be.
It might not work, or it might not be compatible with the big summer tournaments and European football, but it should at least be given a fair hearing when the SFA, SPL and SFL talk about the future and where the game’s going.
Forfar manager Dick Campbell very eloquently made a point a few weeks back that teams playing each other four, five, even six times a season is a set-up that no-one wants, suggesting that nobody would go to the cinema to see the same film that amount of times.
Unless of course it was THAT good.
But imagine you went to see Iron Man 3 or whatever – this weekend, settled into your seat and you proceeded to be pounded by wind, rain, snow, hail and everything else our unpredictable Scottish weather can throw at you never mind the freezing temperatures which made your fingers and toes redundant as soon as you sat down.
It wouldn’t be a nice viewing experience, so it’s little wonder folk are reluctant to flock to football grounds and pay their hard-earned money when there’s often more appealing alternatives out there.
There are a few examples that stick out in my mind this season, namely Dunfermline’s home game against Falkirk in March.
It was the week the Pars went into interim administration and you would have thought there would have been a bumper crowd to cheer the players on.
However, sub-zero temperatures and a biting wind later described as “Baltic” by Pars United member Bob Garmory surely played a huge part in the decision of many fans to stay away.
The attendance figure of 2,879 was less than half than that mustered for the Boxing Day fixture between the sides and, the fact that midweek fixtures often attract lower crowds aside, it wasn’t great.
That’s only one instance of countless games I’ve been at this season where I have felt genuinely sorry for the supporters who have actually paid to be there.
And of course the weather doesn’t only affect the spectators but it can also severely affect the product on the park.
Of course, scheduling has to be another point that is severely looked at.
Yes, the Scottish game needs TV money, but if we’re trying to attract fans into grounds why did we have BBC Alba screening St Johnstone v Ross County on a Sunday at 4.05pm recently?
That sort of thing would have just made up the minds of the undecided fans who were perhaps humming and hawing about going along when Liverpool v Chelsea was on at the same time.
Then you’ve got the likes of Hearts v St Johnstone in another cold midweek slot on March 5, a game which was up against the lure of Manchester United v Real Madrid in the Champions League.
You’ll still get plenty fans going along to Tynecastle, I’m sure of that, but the point has to be made that crowds would have been boosted had it been played on a different date.
It’s going to take a huge effort to reverse the trend of falling attendances, and I’m afraid Scottish football doesn’t help itself sometimes in that respect.
So that’s why summer football has to be given a good airing as part of talks moving forward, and there seem to be more pros than cons in my view.
Clubs would save on energy costs as they would have no need for undersoil heating or floodlights at certain times of the year, and other countries have made it work so why can’t we?
People talk about the loss of the lucrative festive fixtures, but people reminiscing about the bygone days seem to forget that nearly everyone was on holiday between Christmas and New Year back then and times have changed.
Summer football is by no means black and white and there would be plenty of kinks to iron out.
The fact we’ve ‘enjoyed’ seven months or so of wintry weather certainly suggests that.
But if clubs are talking about the possibility of bringing alcohol back into the equation to get supporters back, surely summer football has to be just another variable that could be thrown into that mix?
PS: While I’m at it, bring back the Tennents’ Sixes* (*for those under the age of 20, ask your mum or dad).