It's Bummer Not Playing In Summer

Mar 2 2008 By Mark Guidi

GORDON STRACHAN last night appealed to his fellow SPL managers to get together and start a campaign for summer football.

The Celtic boss reckons it's time the SPL and SFA listened to the bosses and took their advice on board.

Strachan believes playing all through the winter is short-changing fans as a below-par product is being served up.

He said: "We have good coaches in Scotland but they don't get the chance to coach or work with the players as often as they'd like.

"The weather is a huge factor. On Friday it was awful and there was little we could do to prepare for the Hibs game.

"I couldn't stop the session to talk to the players or go over one or two things.

"Ifwe stopped for more than 40 seconds in the wind and rain we'd have to begin with another warm-up routine.

"It is time for managers and coaches to get together and have a strong voice.

"We don't have enough of a say in Scotland. The managers and coaches have more power down south.

"I'm in favour of change. I'm in favour of looking at summer football - playing from April through to November, something along those lines. It would mean playing on better surfaces and training in better weather.

"More fans would come to games in summer and you may well attract more sponsorship.

"Players' skills would improve, pushing up their value in the transfer market.

"I'm not saying there won't be arguments against this but let's sit down and discuss it all.

"At the moment the fans are being cheated because of playing all through the winter.

"Even a winter break would be a start."