Friday Night Football

[+CaleyD]

SPL and SFL have issued a joint press release on the playing of matches on Friday Nights....

http://ictfc.com/newsflash/188-friday-night-football

[Alex MacLeod]

Not sure about this one. Will friday night football increase crowds? Probably if compared with a midweek night but not a saturday.

[TopSix]

Absolute farce.

[Jeepsaw]

Nah don't see how this would generate an increase in crowds.

Will they take into consideration the travelling support when moving the fixtures?

Is this a plan to happen to the odd game or are they looking to move all the untelevised games to a friday night instead of 3 on saturday? Defo NO if it's the latter.

How can fans travel from Inverness to central belt and vice versa when a lot of fans will be working til 3/4/5/6 on the friday to make a 7.45 kick off?

[+CaleyD]

I was going to have a bit of a rant about all the reasons why it's a bad idea, but I think we have a smiley that says it all...

[+old caley girl]

what will they think of next? I actually think they are going out of their way to put fans off!!!!

[Alex MacLeod]

I just cant, for the life of me, see any advantages in it at all. Were it just the SPL then I'd say perhaps TV has something to do with it. It does nothing to alleviate the fixture backlogs and the police believe it will add to friday night crime figures.

[Joonya]

Certainly don't see any benefit for SFL fixtures switching to Fridays... SPL I could understand if it generates more TV money for clubs, but what they make in TV they'll surely lose in gate receipts??

[Scotty]

bad idea.

Fair enough moving games for TV (even if that is one area where the OF fans do actually get shafted). TV games bring revenue to the league from sponsors, advertisers and TV companies so there is actually a clear benefit from it .... Wont even complain about the odd midweek game if it helps the fixture calendar or has to be squeezed in when a game has been postponed .... but what benefit is there to be had from a non-televised Friday night game ?????

The release says "Working with the Police and our colleagues at the SFL and Scottish FA, these fixtures have been chosen as a pilot and with the supporters very much in mind. We would encourage fans to get in touch and let us hear their views and feedback on Friday night football in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.?

Can anyone spot the flaw ??? They discussed it with Police, SFL, SFA and SPL .... supposedly with fans in mind ... yet fans are only invited to give feedback after the fact ..... would it not have been an idea to ask them BEFORE this ludicrous decision? I am sure a fans' poll on the SPL or SFL websites or even on a site like P&B which covers multiple teams would have given them a clear and concise answer to this lunacy.

Clubs are struggling to make ends meet and their best opportunity for a large crowd is undoubtedly 3PM on a Saturday afternoon. Its what fans expect, its what many of them can plan for weeks or months in advance, and in some cases it can also keep costs down (floodlighting for evening games is not cheap for example). bad bad bad idea

besides .... ICT have never really done well in Friday night games ... cant remember if we have done any in the SPL, but we did have one back in 99 @Morton ... a horrible 5-1 tanking !

[Jeepsaw]

Certainly don't see any benefit for SFL fixtures switching to Fridays... SPL I could understand if it generates more TV money for clubs, but what they make in TV they'll surely lose in gate receipts??

Aye and it sounds like they're not planning to televise the friday games so it's a lose lose.

[12th Man]

The Guinea pig clubs are being tested to see how much the gate drops by to then calculate what the tv companies can afford to pay.

So a weekend fixture list will consist of Fri night, 12.30 Sat,3pm Sat, 12.30 Sun, 3 pm Sun and Mon night.

Who would think this up? as Highlander would say 'there can only be one'

But Neil Doncaster is veering more towards mental than immortal.

[Alex MacLeod]

The only friday night game I went to was 14th November 2003. We were cruising before the break with goals from Bingo (30), Hissie (31) and Bazza (33). A game that finished 3-3 with County getting the equaliser on the 90th minute. Some 3500 souls turned out that night.

[Alex MacLeod]

The Guinea pig clubs are being tested to see how much the gate drops by to then calculate what the tv companies can afford to pay.

So a weekend fixture list will consist of Fri night, 12.30 Sat,3pm Sat, 12.30 Sun, 3 pm Sun and Mon night.

Who would think this up? as Highlander would say 'there can only be one'

But Neil Doncaster is veering more towards mental than immortal.

If thats the case then why involve the SFL?

[12th Man]

more money for SFL, more wierd times, theyre getting allocated the 4am tuesday slot, either that or its on monday and they have to stop play when coronation street is on.

[+Gringo]

Maybe they've done a survey and discovered that pitches don't freeze over so much on a Friday night as they do on a Saturday afternoon..

[+MrCaleyjag]

I could understand the idea if our traditional weekend was a Friday/Saturday but not when it is a Saturday/Sunday, Spain play the majority of their league games on a Sunday night but that's because a Spanish weekend is Sunday/Monday and the only reason games are moved to a Saturday night is for tv but mostly they fill these slots with the teams that are playing in europe the following midweek, this is an idea that works for all but in Scotland this is lunacy.

When would fans rather go to games? A Saturday afternoon at 3pm or a Friday night at 7.45pm? Did they take into consideration we live in a country that has crappy weather and coming into the winter when it is cold and horrible at night hardly anyone will want to freeze their bits off on a Friday night as opposed to a Saturday afternoon.

Our game is going down the toilet so fast and no one has a clue what to do with it, these ideas are only serving to drive more and more people away. This is a stupid idea someone has come up with to justify their position and justify their job. If it were for tv either like it is with Championship games in England or Rugby League I could maybe understand it but it's not.

[starchief]

I think it'll be to try to get SPL fans to say, "hey, there's a game on tonight, let's head on over and go to a different game tomorrow."

Nope, I don't think it'll work but I won't have a dig at them for trying. If they carry on when it's not working, then I'll have a go. But if the figures are low, then at least it was tried.

I will have a go at the actual fixture though. How about two teams that were a bit closer? Give the fans a chance of making an away match. Not rocket science surely.

[+CaleyD]

Anyone know how to cancel a bid on Ebay?

I put in a bid for a cowboy outfit and it looks like I'm only minutes away from buying the SPL!!!

[12th Man]

I think this may be OK on the odd occasion but not the norm and only if clubs get a tv revenue boost.

If there is a major local event on the Saturday and it clashes with the football then a Friday night game may actually be OK but its not rocket science to work out what dates may clash.So these can be avoided anyway when making the up fixtures.

For example RAF Leuchars annual air show 10th September.

So what have the Scottish football wise ones planed for this weekend.

What are Dundee United up to? they have got a potential crowd pulling home tie against Rangers.

Oh dear so what about the SFL

Raith Rovers ? they are at home to Dundee.

Hang on, there are more teams in Fife arent there, what are they up to whilst the Leuchars show is on?

Cowdenbeath v East Fife.

The Scottish football associations need to work far harder for every minute of every hour of every day instead of trying to find lazy solutions all the time. Put your heart and soul into the job and start working out what you can do to protect the interests of all the Scottish football clubs. The way I see it your all taking full time wages for doing a part time job. Extra tv revenue is OK if it doesnt damage the support but what else can you do.

Start earning your wages but more importantly start earning the respect of the fans,the managers and the clubs of all of Scotland.

Edited September 11, 2011 by 12th Man

[Libero]

Seems to be a bizarre decision to me, cant really see this becoming a regular occurance

Will be interesting to see how the idea is received

[PaderbornCaley]

Of all the games to pick! I can't imagine many Pars fans travelling up on a Friday night, and Dons gates are extremely low as well. It will be interesting to see how much they drop by. I presume the SPL will compensate Aberdeen if they have a significantly reduced crowd? Or maybe that barmy Neil Doncaster should compensate them personally.

There's a facebook page set up a couple of years ago, still active called:

Neil Doncaster, this is all your f****** fault, f*** off out of Norwich.

When he was chief executive there (for 8 years), they got relegated - TWICE! As soon as he left, they get promoted twice within 2 years!!! Coincidence? You couldn't make it up! He does love a good relegation. He'd relegate the whole SPL if he could! Now, he is the real muppet in Scottish football!

[12th Man]

Being relegated brought far more disappointment than I ever thought it would, so I can sympathize with any club who gets relegated.

Some SPL clubs seem to think that they are totally immune to relegation and have become desensitized to the reality of it.

With regards to the above posters comments, Neil Doncaster has experienced relegation,TWICE and even lost his job over it.

With that being such a recent memory, why was he so keen to allow it to happen to 3 clubs in the SPL ?

It will take me a long time to fathom out why someone who has experienced that pain is so keen to relegate a quarter of the league.

Unless he genuinely doesn't give a flying f@#k.

I know thats all in the past put on the back burner, but its the same brain thats thinking up these ideas.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

The only friday night game I went to was 14th November 2003. We were cruising before the break with goals from Bingo (30), Hissie (31) and Bazza (33). A game that finished 3-3 with County getting the equaliser on the 90th minute. Some 3500 souls turned out that night.

Aye but that was becos - I fink - Scotland v Holland was on the next day - and what a feckin weekend that was - apart from the wonder goal equaliser from McTink near the end.

The only way that it would ever work was if it was a derby occasion - although there would be a lot to be said if everyone got a day off on the Friday - happy hours returned to Inverness hostelries - the game kciked off at 20.00 and the Caley Club had a lock in afterwards.

[Scotty]

Its back ......... SFL sent this out the other day

"Dear All,

Following close cooperation and consultation with Strathclyde Police and both clubs, the SFL are delighted to announce the next Friday Night Football match after the success of the first match at Firhill Stadium earlier in the season.

The IRN-BRU Scottish Football League First Division match between Hamilton Academical and Partick Thistle will now take place on Friday 13th January 2012, kick-off 7.45 p.m at New Douglas Park, Hamilton. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday 14th January, 2012."

[+CaleyD]

On the bright side (well I think so anyway) I believe ICT are not currently being considered due to travelling distances for away fans.