Well, the new season is almost upon us, and for the first few weeks we will be wearing our short sleeves and sunglasses, and I may even persuade Mrs Fodder to come to St Marys to see a few games. It won't be long, however, until the cold takes over and the second half will be under floodlights and Mrs Fodder will leave the footy to me and the lad. So my question is, would you prefer it if the football season avoided the worst of the winter weather running from, say, March to November? Don't get bogged down with the practical stuff, this is just about whether trying to get some feeling back in you frozen feet and trudging home in the pitch-dark is an essential part of enjoying football in this country. Personally, I am not sure that it is, but what else would you do on a cold damp Saturday afternoon?
The boredom between seasons is only made tolerable by summer holidays and sitting drinking in garden or pub. Can't imagine no football during the winter. I suppose those of you who travel to away matches visit bleak parts, but to be honest the weather is perfectly tolerable in the sunny south during winter.
I know what you mean, Fran. My suggestion would improve the summer, but what would the winter be like? Doesn't bear thinking about!
There have been times when I've had so many layers of clothes on me that I've struggled to get through the turnstiles. Well maybe a slight exaggeration there, but even though I can't take the cold too well I love the winter games. Some of the away games in the open air last season tested the loyalty somewhat (especially if it was wet and cold) but sitting in my eyrie at St Mary's no amount of rain will get up there. How some of the fans turn up in the height of winter with only a thin layer under their Saints top is beyond me. The only problem with wearing so many clothes to games is the pub beforehand where heat exhaustion is more likely.
Dark winter night mid week floodlit matches are the best conditions under which to watch football. The atmosphere and the colours are just magic. I personally dob't like games watched or played in hot weather which leaves me wondering what footballers think of the prospect of playing in the heat of Quatar in the World Cup. We've heard what the suits have to say about it all but I don't recollect a footballer commenting on the prospect!
I always like that walk to the ground for the 1st game of the season..it's always baking hot. In fact, I can only remember one wet 1st game of season in the past decades. I'm still wondering when they will release the tickets for the Leeds match as they are selling season tickets up to the day before. The queues will be horrendous if we all have to buy them at the ticket ofice on the day of the match.
I love Winter games, especially mid-week games. As a football match under floodlights is amazing for me and the atmosphere always seems to be better. Oldham away in January on the Tuesday night was one of the best I have experianced, even if it did chuck down with rain all the way home and I didn't get in untill 4am! Nothing can beat it for me, otherwise Winter would be unbearable!
I think that, that makes English football what it is. If they where to go to a season where there was no cold tuesday nights and no cold saturdays then i feel that i would miss it....
