Eye On The Ball.
FIFA Harmonic Football Globalization Calendar Plan.
Ideally suited for Western European Seasonal Disorder Victims;
What more could these saddies ask for, plenty of sunshine and the possibility of being able to attend, in person, their favourite sport. When they, in the normal rationale of events, would be getting their daily dose of sunshine(sunbed), the rest of us are suffering at 3.pm Sat/Sun or 8.pm midweek(Oct - Mar) and have been since 1863.
For the benefit of those who have been locked behind closed doors for the last couple of months, busy thinking up bullshit about Ken Livingstone (alright Dobbo), or those unable to decipher our opening code, what FIFA are actually proposing is to have the same football calendar for every affiliated country throughout the world, from Feb to Oct. The aforementioned conviently forgetting such global variations as hurricane, monsoon and draught. Seriously, this is another (bad) idea designed only to line the pockets of those already milking the game for every penny they can. The ultimate agenda being to have the World Cup and European Championships every other year (as opposed to every present 4yrs). This could avoid clubs releasing players for national team games, whilst being engaged in their own domestic season. In other words, once again, more cash. Not only content with skimming the golden cash cow (us) they now want to take money away from every other sport that operates during the summer season. Football presently, and for the foreseeable future is the worlds most popular spectator sport. The change to a summer football season for northen hemisphere countries will result in considerable financial losses to all other outdoor sports, because make no mistake it will not be possible for several present summer sports to successfully operate against football. Given that media coverage will not be equally weighted to several different events occuring simultaneously, rather, they will give more coverage to the most prestige event, which will be nothing other than football. Also, other sports will lose a significant proportion of their fan base, since football fans only support these other sports as an alternative when the footy season is over. However, if the alternative sport is directly up against football there won't be any choice. The former sport will be kicked into touch, such is footballs pulling power.
Therefore, what would be a good money earner for the few greedy bastards running football, doesn't hold the same attraction for others. Well, thats the wider implications out of the way, now for the nitty grity. Firstly, what the hell are northen people supposed to do all winter (in our darkest hours). After all, football was designed a bit like xmas, it gives that feel good factor during suicidal winter days (well, ask Capt Scott). Have FIFA really thought about the consequences to society. Inadvertently, there will be millions of potential S.D victims overnight. How? Well, for a start there will be less for many people to talk about at this depressing time of year. For the real fanatics amongst us, there will be absolutely noting to talk about. Combined with the dark nights/days they wont just get depressed, they'll go mad. Thanks to this latter fact, FIFA's idea will likely not happen, as European governments couldn't afford the massive health bill. We've been saved, if only.
When has global bankrupcy stopped mad-cap ideas. Remember WW1 and WW2 and capitalism. Damn, we need a fall-back plan. Thank God for the fashion industry. Fans will spend less on clobber if football becomes a summer game. It'll just be shorts, t-shirts and sandals. Then again, forget the latter items. With global warming it'll be just boxies or swimming trunks, although hat sales will go up. Just think, no trackie bottoms or tops and definately no jackets. Although all the aforementioned will not apply to those rattlin'. There's always a spanner getting in the way. No, the financial power of the fashion industry will defiantly save us from summer footy.
Now thats the funnies out of the way, only serious fans need read on. FIFA summer madness, in search of bigger profits, will likely lead not the harminization of football, but to the splitting of football. The good point for fanatics is that this will lead to year round footy. The bad news is your body won't be able to cope with continual frenzied punishment, once again this will affect European health service bills.
For conformination of the above statement we only have to see what individual greed has done to another sport, Rugby League, when they seen fit to change their season from a winter to a summer calendar. Not having footballs pulling power, meant that many clubs were nearly going into extinction overnight in the battle between the Super League and the rest of Rugby League for Murdoch's millions. This is not a little unlike the battle between the Premier League and the Football League, albiet on a smaller scale. In relation to rugby, salvation has come by a majority of clubs who aren't in the Super League reverting back to the winter game, and as a consequence these gates have grown. One consequence of this, Rugby League chasing entry into the Super League continually playing throughout the year. Ok rugby is not football, but with the split between the Premier and Football League getting wider (formation of Premier 2 a possibility) who is to say that this could not happen, with the Premier agreeing to FIFA dictat and with other Football League clubs who are not getting any of the associated benefits of UEFA (no chance of European football, therefore no big money). Therefore, deciding that heir interests best lie in the traditional winter calendar. For football fans, this offers again the prospect of all year round competitive football.
Rational, is one thing greed has never been. Why not? (not) tinker with a good thing, and keep the football calendar as present. Since each hemisphere (norhern and southern) has its own climatic conditions. Interestingly, in every country, the club league programme occurs during that particular country's most temperate weather period. Despite what we think we may see during the World Cup, the best football at the highest tempo (quickest pace) occurs when the weather is between 30f and 69f. Not when temperatures are 70f upwards, and the game is reduced to walking pace. Footballs rulers will do well to remember this, because un-exciting walking pace games as opposed to fast tempo games are not potentially a spectators spectacle (cricket). Need we say more. And importantly to footballs bosses it does not maximize income. This point alone should sober their minds. What do you think?