Boyman on Sport - Time to rethink the festive footballing calendar

Several football managers came out and complained about the busy Christmas schedule, and I think they have a point.

I understand that it’s traditional for teams to play on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, but was it really necessary to shoehorn in another fixture on the Sunday after Christmas? I don’t think so, especially with the FA Cup third round weekend falling so close to the new year. Some clubs had to play two games in three days twice in the space of a week.

Of course, it’s all done chasing television money, but quite a few of the games on the Sunday after Christmas were pretty dull affairs as players struggled to handle the workload.

TV audiences want to see players at their best, not jogging around at half speed because their legs have gone. Surely it would have been a better idea to spread one round of fixtures over Boxing Day and the two days after, keeping the television companies and armchair fans happy, while reducing the workload on the players.

Covering Basingstoke Town, I went to four games over the course of nine days during the festive period. Crowds weren’t particularly impressive and I would argue that at that level, playing on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day doesn’t make sense.

A lot of people see Christmas as a family time and are unlikely to duck out for a couple of hours, especially on Boxing Day, to take in a non-league game.

The Premier League and Football League fixtures come out before the Conference, which gives the people in charge an opportunity to do something creative around Christmas.

With the top levels playing on Boxing Day and Sunday, surely it would have made sense for the Conference to schedule fixtures for the Saturday in between, giving clubs a chance to pick up some casual fans. Something to think about looking ahead.

THE big news of the last week has been Steven Gerrard’s departure from Liverpool, which is a real shame for the Premier League.

He may turn 35 in the summer, but there’s no way that the former England captain is anything like a spent force at the highest level. Just look at the way he dragged Liverpool through their FA Cup third round tie at AFC Wimbledon on Monday.

Gerrard may not be able to perform at his best twice a week any more, but with some careful management, it’s pretty clear to me that he had at least one more season in him.

Liverpool have come in for some criticism for the way that they have handled the situation, and it has to be said that there is a case to answer.

Had Gerrard wished to leave his boyhood club in search of silverware, he could have had his pick of any club in the world. He was close to leaving for Chelsea at one stage, but he simply couldn’t do it.

As a result, he has spent his entire career at one club. He’s had some fantastic times, winning, among other things, the European and FA Cup, but he was never part of a title-winning club and, for the most part, Liverpool have been distinctly average.

Last summer, having captained England at the World Cup, he made the decision to retire from international football, presumably in an effort to persuade his beloved club that he was worthy of a new contract.

Nothing was forthcoming, apart from what appears to be a token effort in the last couple of months, and he’s on his way to LA Galaxy.

Doesn’t sound like a fair deal to me and it’s only a shame that Gerrard is too loyal to come back and haunt his old club by playing for one of their rivals in the style of Frank Lampard.

IT WASN’T a very merry Christmas for anyone involved in Basingstoke RFC.

I’m not going to go over old ground, because I made it clear what I felt should happen in a previous column, which you can read here.

I feel sorry for everyone who lost their job or position at the club over what was a stupid error, and it’s important to remember that they are good people.

Will Croker is an excellent coach who will succeed in a management position if given a second chance, while Steve Tristram, David Crabbe and Niall Catlin have been outstanding servants to the club over a number of years.

It’s probably right that they have all relinquished their posts, but their departure leaves several gaping holes in the fabric of the club.

The first team responded well, winning their first game of 2015 in dramatic style, but it remains unclear how many members of the squad will remain with the club moving forward, with a relegation battle looming.

Away from the field of play, it will need some big characters to replace Tristram and Crabbe. A meeting is scheduled for later this month, when we should end up with a new committee, but they will not be easy to replace.

Have your say on any of these issues using the comment box at the bottom of the page, or tweet me @JBoymanGazette