SNOW JOKE, IT may be TIME FOR A WINTER BREAK

MATHIEU WOOD suggests English football should contemplate a tradition-chasing decision...

IF YOUwere to ask the regular matchday goer whether in England we should implement a winter break in domestic football then you would likely here a resounding answer: No.

However, would our standard of football be the better for its introduction?

High-flying European nations Spain, Germany, Italy and France all have a winter break included in their fixture calendar which can vary from a length of two to sometimes five weeks.

In our domestic leagues, the winter period can have a physically and emotionally draining influence on both players and managers. The frenzied spell of fixtures can easily have a potentially season-defining effect.

Managers and players from most clubs are in favour of the introduction of a winter break but more will be needed to influence those with the power at the Premier League to force through the idea.

On the other hand, many supporters from across the country believe the players earn vast salaries and therefore should be able to play through the festive weeks when the fans pay good money to watch the fixtures.

But the impact of the congested Christmas and New Year period has been clear to see in recent years, especially with the failure of the top Premier League sides in the Champions League.

Last season both Chelsea and Arsenal failed to make the quarter-finals, losing unexpectedly to French sides Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco respectively at the last-16 stage.

Manchester City fell at the same stage to eventual winners Barcelona in their two-legged tie whilst Liverpool failed to even make it out of the group stages.

This led to Manchester United manager Louis Van Gaal voicing concerns that the trend may not be a one-off but something that will repeat itself for several years if a break in the season is not introduced sooner rather than later.

The knockout implication of the Champions League at its resumption in February benefits the other European clubs that enjoy a break during the Christmas and New Year period.

This season in France Ligue 1 sides will have a four-week break over the festive period whereas in Italy clubs enjoy a two-and-a-half week break which is slightly more than their Spanish counterparts who have a two-week pause in their schedule.

The Bundesliga, due to only having 18 sides, offers clubs the opportunity to have an extended break of four weeks during the winter.

The past two victors of the Champions League have been Barcelona and Real Madrid, hailing a recent surge in dominance by La Liga sides on the European stage.

Before that, in the 2012-13 edition, the final was played out between German rivals Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Moving back to the domestic stage, could the business brand that the Premier League has become in the past decade or so cope – or want to – with an extended break?

The main argument against a gap in the fixture list would be that it goes against the history of football in England. Likewise, it would rob fans from our shores and also from across the continent of one of our unique traditions in English football.

The expectant fans packed into full stadiums and the regularity of the fixtures broadcast on television, especially during the winter period, are so vital to the appeal of the tournament around the world. However, an easy way around this would be to place a break in the schedule after the renowned Boxing Day and New Year fixtures and delay the third round of the FA Cup, which is usually in the first weekend of January.

Otherwise, to reduce the