Post by Rustin Cohle on Feb 8, 2018 11:09:03 GMT
www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/sport/premier-league-clubs-back-split-winter-break-xthwhbptn
Premier League clubs back split winter break
A winter break could be staggered so that Premier League clubs take turns to rest to avoid a complete shutdown.
The Times revealed on Tuesday that the introduction of a break had been mentioned in tender documents sent to broadcasters before the domestic TV rights auction for 2019 to 2022. It has since emerged that the clubs, the FA and the Football League (EFL) are all keen for it to be introduced in 2019-20.
The main obstacle is creating room in a congested calendar. The FA is willing to sacrifice FA Cup fifth-round replays, which would mean that one round of Premier League games could be moved to a midweek slot, although that in itself would not create enough space for a fortnight’s break.
One potential solution is for the clubs to take turns in having a two-week break during January after the FA Cup third round. This would ensure that all players had the same amount of rest, while four or five games could still be played each weekend. While the finer details have yet to be agreed, it is understood that many clubs are receptive to the concept, which would involve the Premier League shutting down for only one weekend — if at all.
The broadcasters are also believed to approve of this model as it would mean less interruption to their schedules. Sky Sports and BT Sport paid £5.14 billion for the most recent three-year rights package, and that figure could increase for the 2019-22 cycle when the outcome of the auction is revealed next week. A two-week Premier League break could hit the value of the rights.
A staggered break would be a significant change to the approach in Europe, where most leagues shut down completely, generally over Christmas. This season there was no football in Germany for 22 days from December 20. There were breaks of 16, 14 and 11 days in France, Italy and Spain respectively.
The idea of a winter break has been considered for more than a decade after England’s failure to perform at summer tournaments, but has been discussed more seriously since Martin Glenn became the FA’s chief executive three years ago. He has worked with Richard Scudamore and Shaun Harvey at the Premier League and the EFL to make it a possibility. The clubs gather today for a shareholders’ meeting. A winter break is not on the agenda but is likely to be discussed informally.
Premier League clubs back split winter break
A winter break could be staggered so that Premier League clubs take turns to rest to avoid a complete shutdown.
The Times revealed on Tuesday that the introduction of a break had been mentioned in tender documents sent to broadcasters before the domestic TV rights auction for 2019 to 2022. It has since emerged that the clubs, the FA and the Football League (EFL) are all keen for it to be introduced in 2019-20.
The main obstacle is creating room in a congested calendar. The FA is willing to sacrifice FA Cup fifth-round replays, which would mean that one round of Premier League games could be moved to a midweek slot, although that in itself would not create enough space for a fortnight’s break.
One potential solution is for the clubs to take turns in having a two-week break during January after the FA Cup third round. This would ensure that all players had the same amount of rest, while four or five games could still be played each weekend. While the finer details have yet to be agreed, it is understood that many clubs are receptive to the concept, which would involve the Premier League shutting down for only one weekend — if at all.
The broadcasters are also believed to approve of this model as it would mean less interruption to their schedules. Sky Sports and BT Sport paid £5.14 billion for the most recent three-year rights package, and that figure could increase for the 2019-22 cycle when the outcome of the auction is revealed next week. A two-week Premier League break could hit the value of the rights.
A staggered break would be a significant change to the approach in Europe, where most leagues shut down completely, generally over Christmas. This season there was no football in Germany for 22 days from December 20. There were breaks of 16, 14 and 11 days in France, Italy and Spain respectively.
The idea of a winter break has been considered for more than a decade after England’s failure to perform at summer tournaments, but has been discussed more seriously since Martin Glenn became the FA’s chief executive three years ago. He has worked with Richard Scudamore and Shaun Harvey at the Premier League and the EFL to make it a possibility. The clubs gather today for a shareholders’ meeting. A winter break is not on the agenda but is likely to be discussed informally.
