Let’s get with the programme and switchtosummer

RALPH TOPPING taking a cricket bat to the BBC was quite refreshing.

Although some of his points about licence fees regarding English and Scottish football were a bit skewed it was positive to see someone within the SPFL stand up for the game and have a go.

But the negative is it compared Scotland and England again. And there is no comparison. We can’t compete with the English game – fact.

It’s for this reason we have to stop trying. It’s also one of the major reasons why we now have to take the plunge and switch to summer football.

Too many people are making too many sensible points about this change to ignore it any longer.

As a traditionalist, it grates but the benefits for all aspects of the game and everyone involved are staring us in the face.

What did we all argue and debate last week?

TV deals. Pitches. Crowds. The timing of the European qualifiers.

Every single one would be improved by moving our season to, say, February-November.

Look at TV. How can we get a decent deal when, at the same time Rangers were playing Queen of the South last Sunday, viewers could switch over and watch Manchester United v Arsenal?

We can’t get a sniff. No one south of the border is going to switch to the coverage from Ibrox.

Yet what happens when the English Premier League goes to sleep – or Serie A, or the Bundesliga, or La Liga?

In the summer, Sky are scrabbling around. They actually pay to screen garbage such as the Ajax tournament where four teams play friendlies.

They are crying out for proper games. Imagine we could offer Sky or BT Sport two games each between Celtic against Rangers and Hearts against Hibs in June and July instead.

They’d bite your arm off. Which would strengthen our position and give us a chance of a better deal.

Pitches? No wonder they are a joke when the undersoil heating is pumped on full blast to get a game on in December.

The crowds issue is a no-brainer. Seeing young kids huddled in rain and sub-zero temperatures is ridiculous.

Of course, it also rains and is cold in the summer – this is Scotland – but there is less chance of it.

And the stuff about people being on holiday is also rubbish. How many folk go away for eight weeks in the summer?

In addition, during the school holidays folk are crying out for things to do with the weans. You can get children to midweek games because the nights are light and they don’t have school the next day.

The play-offs right now are giving us a taste of having top competitive games in the right climate and we’re lapping it up.

And don’t give me the bit about competing with traditional summer

TV deals, pitches, crowds, Euro qualifier timing – all can improve by moving our season

sports. Cricket doesn’t register up here. Football fans won’t stay in the house because Wimbledon is on. And as for the golf?

We played Premiership games on the same day The Ryder Cup was being staged at Gleneagles.

As for the way UEFA has changed how countries such as Scotland have to qualify for Europe, it would also help massively.

Instead of going into qualifiers ring rusty our teams would be flying.

Should we get it, the Champions League and Europa League stop from mid-December until into February anyway. Should any team get to a last 16 or 32, pre-season would act as warm-up.

And if we missed festive football we could always watch the Premier League ...

For finance, for fans and for success on the park, it’s time to make the change. OUR TOP WRITERS GIVE THEIR FEARLESS VERDICTS EVERY DAY IN RECORD SPORT