Is the Close Season too long?

[Devils Advocate. 0]

I''m fairly certain that we were all only to glad to see the back of last season. I thought that after it''s inevitable conclusion, that I would not want to hear anymore about Norwich City, ever again. Now however, I find myself although not looking forward to next season as such, I am totally bored and frustrated by the lack of anything new or real from Carrow Road. You only have to read some of the postings on this forum to find trivial postings, back biting, name calling etc etc, lets face it we are all getting bored and are therefore turning on each other. Why is the close season three months long?. Ok the players and staff may need a holiday, some of them a permanent one, but is it right that we have to have three months off from Football. I have often wondered how Clubs can afford to spend three months without earning money, yet still have to pay wages. Why can''t there be some form of Summer League Football? maybe a Youth Team league or cup competition , it must be worth thinking about and would be better than the nothingness we suffer at the moment.

[AndyJR 0]

Not when we have the 20-20 world cup and the Ashes to look forward to.  It''s quite nice to take a break from the footy.

[......and Smith must score. 1,600]

For the last few seasons for a City fan the close season break has been nowhere near long enough.

[city-till-i-die 7]

i dred it these day...who cant we afford to bring to the club...greeeaat

with the ashes and under 21s euro   all good this summer

[hogesar 10,779]

Yeahh..looking forward to the ashes, so it''s not too bad. [:)]

[Shack Attack 0]

If anything it''s not long enough. I''m really looking forward to this summers cricket although it does threaten to turn out just like the average Norwich season. Initial misguided optimism followed by crushing humiliation................or will it [^o)][;)]

[The Fish Seller 0]

[quote user="......and Smith must score."]For the last few seasons for a City fan the close season break has been nowhere near long enough.[/quote]Too true. Sadly those few short weeks when we have been mid table (alphabetically) with p 0 w 0 d 0 l 0 f 0 a 0 pts 0 have proven to be our best period of the season for a few years now.

[Mr. Bump 0]

It will feel like too long.I might be one of the few that couldn''t give a shite about the Ashes though

[I am a Banana 0]

[quote user="John Morlar"]I''m fairly certain that we were all only to glad to see the back of last season. I thought that after it''s inevitable conclusion, that I would not want to hear anymore about Norwich City, ever again. Now however, I find myself although not looking forward to next season as such, I am totally bored and frustrated by the lack of anything new or real from Carrow Road. You only have to read some of the postings on this forum to find trivial postings, back biting, name calling etc etc, lets face it we are all getting bored and are therefore turning on each other. Why is the close season three months long?. Ok the players and staff may need a holiday, some of them a permanent one, but is it right that we have to have three months off from Football. I have often wondered how Clubs can afford to spend three months without earning money, yet still have to pay wages. Why can''t there be some form of Summer League Football? maybe a Youth Team league or cup competition , it must be worth thinking about and would be better than the nothingness we suffer at the moment.[/quote]

too long for fans!

too short for the players!

[Branston Pickle 4,153]

Crikey, the season proper only finished last Saturday, with the FA Cup final, and re-starts in c10 weeks time - surely we all need a decent break from football - certainly the players must need some ''battery recharging time'', and I myself am pretty glad of the break as well! 

When I was young (born in 69), I''m pretty sure that the FA Cup final was the first or second Saturday in May, and the season restarted pretty-much at the last weekend in August - we had not far off 4 months off, and I think it was probably better for it.

[OldRobert 38]

[quote user="Branston Pickle"]

Crikey, the season proper only finished last Saturday, with the FA Cup final, and re-starts in c10 weeks time - surely we all need a decent break from football - certainly the players must need some ''battery recharging time'', and I myself am pretty glad of the break as well! 

When I was young (born in 69), I''m pretty sure that the FA Cup final was the first or second Saturday in May, and the season restarted pretty-much at the last weekend in August - we had not far off 4 months off, and I think it was probably better for it.

[/quote]

I don''t think many of our lot have got batteries.  How many deserve holidays?

[SwindonCanary 457]

Is the Close Season too long?
What, with a couple of England World Cup qualifiers just coming up then the under 21''s will be doing us proud soon after. Time to dig out that Engerland shirt !

[Inch High aka Inchy.. 417]

[quote user="Mr. Bump"]It will feel like too long.

I might be one of the few that couldn''t give a shite about the Ashes though
[/quote]

I don''t like cricket either Bump. I spend my summer weekends at Snetterton. Superbikes only 2 weeks away now.

[LQ 0]

As Branston said I''m sure the close season used to be longer, or maybe it''s just that a day seemed to last a week when we were kids and now it''s more like an hour!Anyway England qualifiers, Twenty20, Wimbledon, Ashes, pre-season friendlies - it''s a packed summer ahead.[:)]

[BroadstairsR 0]

Shorter break?  Per--lease!  Three months is about right and just about avoids overkill. Virtual continuous exposure could be to the detriment of the game.

As it is, this break gives the sport the chance to refresh, with every season seeming like a new beginning. Interest is rekindled.

It also gives other sports a chance to thrive without the competition from soccer and it gives us a chance to get involved with other sports without distraction. 

It is the best 3 months of the year. Get out there and do something, even if its just the garden (or drinking in a pub''s garden)

Besides, all.those poor, underpaid footballers need their fortnight in Margate, and a couple of months to recover from that.[B] 

 

[LQ 0]

"It also gives other sports a chance to thrive without the competition

from soccer and it gives us a chance to get involved with other sports

without distraction."Absolutely.Football left unchallenged would kill most other sport in this country. Here''s the UK TV viewing figures for football and rugby union season finales in the last month:Champions League - 11,390,000FA Cup - 5,490,000Heineken Cup - 460,000Guinness Premiership - 440,000

[LQ 0]

...and England lose to Holland (wtf???) in the first Twenty20.It''s going to be a long summer!

[Branston Pickle 4,153]

[quote user="LQ"]...and England lose to Holland (wtf???) in the first Twenty20.

It''s going to be a long summer!


[/quote]

...pathetic, really, isn''t it - we now need to win vs Pakistan to have a chance of going through in a game where the weather looks the most likely winner (indeed, I am going on Sunday - probably the very reason for the crappy forecast!). 

But what can you expect - we''ve got completely the wrong captain (should be Key) and a ropey mid-order when Mr Ego isn''t playing -  Shah just is not good enough for internationals.

[JuanVelasco 27]

Its definetly not too long. Best three months of the year, depression at 4:45pm is replaced by the odd glimpse and a little bit of excitement at the transfer news, whilst realising that there is much more to life than football. Before being sucked in again in August.

[LQ 0]

[quote user="Branston Pickle"]

[quote user="LQ"]...and England lose to Holland (wtf???) in the first Twenty20.It''s going to be a long summer!

[/quote]

...pathetic, really, isn''t it - we now need to win vs Pakistan to have a chance of going through in a game where the weather looks the most likely winner (indeed, I am going on Sunday - probably the very reason for the crappy forecast!). 

But what can you expect - we''ve got completely the wrong captain (should be Key) and a ropey mid-order when Mr Ego isn''t playing -  Shah just is not good enough for internationals.

[/quote]I''m still getting my head around it.Not sure what''s more strange - us in League One or ''us'' losing to Holland at cricket?You''re right about Shah though. Brainachingly stupid idea putting him in.

[PurpleCanary 6,391]

Norfolk lost to the Netherlands last season, so on that basis Norfolk are as good as England...

[Theres only one Ken Foggo 0]

What is going on? [:@]Norwich in the third division, and now England losing to Holland at cricket!!!! [8-|]I think I''ll stop watching sport and take up stamp collecting instead!

[Branston Pickle 4,153]

[quote user="LQ"]

I''m still getting my head around it.

Not sure what''s more strange - us in League One or ''us'' losing to Holland at cricket?

You''re right about Shah though. Brainachingly stupid idea putting him in.


[/quote]

It does rather beggar belief how they threw it away - even then, no-brain Broad decided to throw any chance of victory on the final ball.  What a shambles, almost as bad as NCFC!

I guess it does set things up for an interesting game on Sunday, though - and also the Pak/Ned match on Tuesday - that is if we don''t get the predicted downpours as a washout scuppers us big-time.  At the end of the day, though, we''d then at least be able to kick-back and enjoy watching those who are actually good at the format....as usual we ''invented'' it but are already lagging behind just about everyone! 

[PurpleCanary 6,391]

But is not worrying over a Twenty whatsit game in an Ashes summer a bit like caring about the crossbar challenge?

[Theres only one Ken Foggo 0]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]But is not worrying over a Twenty whatsit game in an Ashes summer a bit like caring about the crossbar challenge?[/quote]Good point!

[Branston Pickle 4,153]

...you mean you don''t care about the crossbar challenge?  At times it was the best skill we had on offer last season!

[PurpleCanary 6,391]

[quote user="Branston Pickle"]...you mean you don''t care about the crossbar challenge?  At times it was the best skill we had on offer last season![/quote]Curses! Unwittingly I have revealed myself not to be a true fan! Touché, Branston.

[LQ 0]

It''d just be nice for the team I''m backing to WIN something for a change and yesterday should have been a nailed on, high five kinda game.I suppose thinking about the connotations of the Twenty20 is like worrying about how we fare in pre-season friendlies. If it goes your way you take it - if it doesn''t you dismiss it?Oh well. Roll on Tuesday...

[ndhscanary 0]

[quote user="AndyJR"]Not when we have the 20-20 world cup and the Ashes to look forward to.  It''s quite nice to take a break from the footy.

[/quote]

The only problem with that is that the sods at sky have taken all the cricket so I cant watch it anymore. Oh well I can always watch it online on a stream i suppose