Scottish football is braced for a winter World Cup in Qatar 2022
FROM BACK PAGE to the searing summer heat in the Middle Eastern country, could wreak havoc on leagues throughout Europe.
Former SFA chief executive Gordon Smith has always been an advocate of summer football.
And he reckons the timing of the 22nd World Cup could be the perfect opportunity to introduce it. The SPFL Fixtures Working Group face a major headache – particularly if Scotland qualify for the planned 48-team event – with the loss of 28 days in the middle of the season.
They will have to come up with a way of taking a break during the month-long competition, with players also released for pre-tournament training, while minimising disruption to their domestic seasons.
The simplest solution is to kick off in July with a winter break during the World Cup and then a June climax to the campaign.
Smith said: “I’ve always said we should look at summer football in Scotland anyway and this is the perfect opportunity.
“Hopefully Scotland are involved in the 2022 World Cup and we are forced to do it.
“The authorities will probably wait and see how Scotland’s campaign is going but if we qualify then it might be we have an earlier start and later finish.
“I believe our league season should start in July anyway and shut down in January and February as that is when most games are called off and the worst time for fans to go as they are the coldest months.
“Obviously that wouldn’t be possible as the World Cup would be taking place when we should be playing domestic football but it could be a step towards it.”