Ter break Focus just seems to go on and John

n Motson will pete with Alan self-importance nising among are mere football ators, the world’s ofession, he talked up his part on s Football Focus. discussing current olitics and the eague’s sway over ile revealing his c efforts to put the use in order. g somewhat, he interviewed Greg George’s Park. sted to him that the FA could make a gesture and cancel FA Cup replays after the third round. Well they’ve managed to cancel them in the sixth round but not the fourth and fifth.

“I said: ‘Look. If you make that concession then the Premier League would have no option if people said, come on, move two of your January fixtures to where the FA Cup replays used to be and lo and behold we’ve got – A MIDWINTER BREAK!’” So there. Many may resent Motson giving the impression of speaking for the entirety of humankind on these issues.

Lower league clubs can be helped to survive by cup replays. Think what a replay would mean to Sutton United in the unlikely, but not impossible event of them drawing with Arsenal on Monday.

And when would a winter break take place? Fans love Boxing Day and New Year games, especially when the only usual alternative entertainment on those days is Herbie Goes Bananas or, worse still, shopping.

Yes the fans. Is there an industry where the requirements of the customer are of less relevance than in football?

Then there are the requirements of broadcasters. Resent the telly companies by all means; but they pay.

The Premier League could decongest the winter by having a full fixture during the first midweek of the season, when everyone is – in theory – full of beans and injury free.

Many Premier League players and managers would welcome a winter break. But the Premier League isn’t all of football.