Blow whistle on excuses – time for summer football is here

SUMMER football has been spoken about since the days when June and July were spent running around in shorts getting skelped by the sun.

If you are over 20 years old, you will remember those days.

It’s a relentlessly repeated theme but I don’t apologise for revisiting it on the eve of another league season.

The time has come to stop making excuses for not having summer football. The very future of our game as a relevance in the eyes of Europe depends on it.

The revenues that can be generated by European football need it and there’s no point in the powers that be saying they can’t change the calendar. They can if they want to, just as the Irish did in 2003.

Since introducing a February to November season, they have seen their coefficient soar and attendances go up as fans flock to watch matches in better weather.

Dundalk came within the width of a crossbar from knocking out Rosenborg and tonight the Norwegians will try to drive another nail into Scottish football’s coffin by beating Celtic.

The fact they are in the middle of their league season, match-fit and flying, is massively beneficial against a team whose only competitive football so far has been two qualifiers against Linfield and the first leg against Rosenborg.

Celtic have been placed at a disadvantage in this tie because of the time of year we play.

Aberdeen are in the same boat and fair play to them for winning in Bosnia and giving themselves a chance against Apollon Limassol tomorrow by heading to Cyprus with a slender advantage. It has been achieved despite playing in Scottish football, not because of it.

As for Rangers there’s no getting away from the fact losing to Progres Niederkorn was the worst result in their history. By a country mile.

They should have beaten the part-timers from Luxembourg without breaking sweat and Progres weren’t in the middle of their season, so in this case that’s not an excuse.

St Johnstone also fell at the first hurdle and by all accounts were every bit as good as Trakai but simply lacked the sharpness in front of goal that comes with playing competitive matches. Again, mark that down to the timing of when we play football.

Hopefully, Celtic and Aberdeen will qualify but if they don’t, the SPFL – which is the clubs, remember – can’t be wringing their hands and crying ‘woe is me’.

They have the power to do something about it. It’s about being sensible

The very future of our game as a relevance in the eyes of Europe depends on it

and working for the best interests of our game.

The world has changed. We take holidays throughout the year now. The days of being worried about playing in front of sparse crowds because of the Glasgow Fair have long gone.

And summer football would give us the chance to strike a decent TV deal with companies who fill airtime with guff during this time of year because there is no live, meaningful football.

It would give us a platform to showcase all that is good about our game – and despite its flaws, there is plenty. So let’s stop the talking and start the doing.

We want summer football. And those traditionalists who will argue winter football is best, will still be able to go to games wearing a big coat and carrying an umbrella. OUR TOP WRITERS GIVE THEIR FEARLESS VERDICTS EVERY DAY IN RECORD SPORT