Gus furious over not playing Boxing day

[les dynam]

Just means we'll be scheduled to play away on boxing days from now on. It's hardly a big deal is it.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

That's the point - it's got f*** all to do with the Leeds game friday, which is what Gus should have all his focus on given our 6 game slump - not on some other distraction weeks away.

How much of his focus is lost, do you think, by answering a question about an upcoming game with a few quotes? How much of a 'distraction' do you really think it is?

To what extent should his focus not be distracted? Should people not ask him how he is, or his wife enquire what he would like for dinner? God forbid he should go out to a restaurant and lose focus through having to choose from a selection of starters!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure, as a football manager, he is giving more than an iota of attention to Leeds on Friday. But don't let that stop people coming on here on Friday night blaming this article if we lose.

 

[BensGrandad]

There was a ban on us having Saturday home games during the run up to Christmas I would assume that this is not in place now. If so we could have a home game on the Saturday before Christmas and an away on Boxing Day. In years gone by Christmas and Easter always featured a local game away and at home to the same team an example of this would be Millwall or Charlton at home on Saturday and then away Boxing Day, or Easter Saturday and Monday as appropriate.

 

[8ace]

Just means we'll be scheduled to play away on boxing days from now on. It's hardly a big deal is it.

Yes it is. It means travelling to the Boxing Day game will be a ball ache EVERY year instead of every other year.

 

[les dynam]

Yes it is. It means travelling to the Boxing Day game will be a ball ache EVERY year instead of every other year.

It's either that or never play on Boxing Days.

 

[8ace]

It's either that or never play on Boxing Days.

I doubt the fixture compilers will be able to accomodate us unless Pride or Party Political Conferences at the centre stop happening.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

I must admit I thought we were destined NEVER to play home games Boxing Day so was surprised when it was a home game!

 

[kevtherev]

I thought Gus was all for having a winter break? Now he has got one, the whole Christmas week without a game. I bet the players with family and kids are pleased. Seems something over nothing to me, from Poyet's point of view. The people who should be most pissed off is us, the fans!!!...He should concentrate more on getting the team to win games of football, like he is paid for.

 

[Acker79]

I thought Gus was all for having a winter break? Now he has got one, the whole Christmas week without a game. I bet the players with family and kids are pleased. Seems something over nothing to me, from Poyet's point of view. The people who should be most pissed off is us, the fans!!!...He should concentrate more on getting the team to win games of football, like he is paid for.

I think that is part of his point - he's been told winter breaks are a no no because we have to have boxing day fixtures in this country. Now he's being told a boxing day fixture can be moved because it inconveniences bus companies. I think that is part of his anger.

 

[el punal]

Am I right in thinking that clubs can only submit 2 requests for dispensation PRIOR to the fixtures coming out - i.e. no home game the Saturday before Xmas or in the case last season, that we played the first game at home to Doncaster etc.

After the fixtures are announced the only way dates/times can be changed is by :

1. Police advice for safety reasons - the home fixture against Palace moved to Sunday 12.00 kick-off, for example.

2. Television requesting to show a match - in this case, the Leeds game this Friday.

3. Transport/Parking issues on a particular match day, where I believe the opposition club have to be informed and, agree, to the change. This seemed to be the case with Sheff. Wed. in September.

With the Millwall game (originally set for Boxing Day) surely it is the correct decision to move the date if there is little or no public transport available for Boxing Day.

Personally, I would prefer the fixture list to be unchanged so that I can plan my football watching without being messed about - but, hey-ho I'm only a fan.

 

[maltaseagull]

Exactly this. Sad but true, from the second the fixtures were released I was convinced this would be changed. It would have been easier if they had just switched the Millwall games, play at the Den on Boxing Day and home on 22 September.

Maybe in the future the club can get something sorted with Southern, the Bus company etc, but this ground was always about public transport, right from the off, without it, the ground doesn't work. The attempts to get hundreds of bus and rail staff to work on their boxing day, to open stations, to man signaling facilities, was unsuccessful this year, and it might be a while before they are successful, but it really is not embarrassing, it is not the clubs fault. Can you imagine the carnage if it had gone ahead, with no buses, no P&R, no trains? Now that would have made us a laughing stock.

(All IMO of course, others may think otherwise)

Things have certainly changed! When did public transport stop on Boxing day? When i lived in Brighton, they were always just off on Christmas day.

Here they get 3 hrs off to go home and have lunch with their family (and probably get half pissed too )

 

[8ace]

Things have certainly changed! When did public transport stop on Boxing day? When i lived in Brighton, they were always just off on Christmas day.

Here they get 3 hrs off to go home and have lunch with their family (and probably get half pissed too )

There are some buses on Boxing Day - none that go to the AMEX though.

 

[kevtherev]

I think that is part of his point - he's been told winter breaks are a no no because we have to have boxing day fixtures in this country. Now he's being told a boxing day fixture can be moved because it inconveniences bus companies. I think that is part of his anger.

Anger He should be pleased. Everyone else will be playing three games in eight days, we will be playing two. Someone else put earlier, you don't bite the hand that feeds you...So we can't have Boxing Days games at the Amex, small price to pay I would say after the last decade and then some.

 

[drew]

Exactly how did you extrapolate that theory from the article on the website. Based on the quotes, and knowing how PR and journalism can work to put pressure on people, I've suggested that could be a possible reason for the article.

Why would he be asked to put pressure on people when the fixture has only recently been changed after apparent negotiations? The fixture has only publicly been changed, but I'm guessing – as has been mentioned above – that the club knew that they would not be able to move it a while back, due to the actions of bus drivers, council, etc. Have you confused yourself here? Don't you mean 'the club knew that they would have to move it a while back'. And what has it got to do with the council whether Southern run a train service to Falmer on Boxing day?


Who do you think these people are that can now make it happen and who asked him to apply pressure? I think the people that run the buses and trains, as well as the AMEX stewards and staff can make it happen. Maybe Paul Barber or Tony Bloom has asked him to highlight it? Or maybe it comes from the PR department, as I suggested before. I doubt it has anything to do with the Stewards who would work whenever. The buses would probably be less of a problem as it would almost certainly be down to paying enough money. Trains cover a wider area and need station staff on duty at most of the stations, signalling, transport police etc etc.

Are you suggesting the club didn't do enough to persuade Southern to run a train service just for this one football match or talk to the bus/coach companies to run the park and rides etc. No I'm not suggesting that at all. What I AM saying, though, is that whatever conversations were had between the different parties didn't result in a positive outcome for Boxing Day football - something the club realises the fans want. In that respect, I think they are trying to ensure it happens in the future, and getting a big page story in the run-up to Christmas is a good start.

Now after all your questions, let me ask you one: "Had we maintained our early season form I suspect GP would not even have got involved with the debate." What the fcuk has that got to do with anything?

Simple, if we were top of the league and playing great, he would probably have said it's disappointing not to play on boxing day but it is what it is with the stadium we have and leave at that. But he is under pressure so he has said more than he needs to. Surely with your fantastic insight into PR etc, you could spot that but apparently not!!!!

 

[drew]

As far as I'm concerned, Boxing day games are purely traditional, and a long way from being the most important fixture in the season. Like other traditions, they are prone to changes, for example, playing at 3pm on a Saturday, playing on Xmas day with return fixtures on boxing day, players wearing the numbers 1-11, no subs, tape instead of a crossbar, balls with laces, pitches a quagmire in the winter months etc etc.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Simple, if we were top of the league and playing great, he would probably have said it's disappointing not to play on boxing day but it is what it is with the stadium we have and leave at that. But he is under pressure so he has said more than he needs to. Surely with your fantastic insight into PR etc, you could spot that but apparently not!!!!

MIEOW!

Maybe, I guess we'll never know. Just not sure why his viewpoint/comments would be different, based on performances on the pitch, and/or league position.

As far as I'm concerned, Boxing day games are purely traditional, and a long way from being the most important fixture in the season. Like other traditions, they are prone to changes, for example, playing at 3pm on a Saturday, playing on Xmas day with return fixtures on boxing day, players wearing the numbers 1-11, no subs, tape instead of a crossbar, balls with laces, pitches a quagmire in the winter months etc etc.

Totally agree with all of that.

 

[8ace]

As far as I'm concerned, Boxing day games are purely traditional, and a long way from being the most important fixture in the season. Like other traditions, they are prone to changes, for example, playing at 3pm on a Saturday, playing on Xmas day with return fixtures on boxing day, players wearing the numbers 1-11, no subs, tape instead of a crossbar, balls with laces, pitches a quagmire in the winter months etc etc.

Except that it is only us not playing on Boxing Day, everyone else still is (apart from our opposition).
I very much doubt that we are blazing a trail here.

 

[Geriatric Seagull]

Whilst it's quite clear nothing will change this year and maybe in future years, I do feel that there is a worrying trend developing over our fixtures. The great god television, with all of it's accompanying cash will make its demands for fixtures to be changed but clearly, in our case, that's far from the only case. The notion of a 3o'clock kick-off on a Saturday for our home games is fast disappearing. Whilst nobody would want to dispute the success of the stadium, I do wonder whether, in the final rush to get the go-ahead, agreements were reached over access and use that are now slightly misfiring. Certainly, as someone who does live in Brighton, it is far harder to get to games that do not kick-off at 3.

 

[drew]

Except that it is only us not playing on Boxing Day, everyone else still is (apart from our opposition).
I very much doubt that we are blazing a trail here.

The point I'm making is that it is purely a tradition. It is far from being the most important game in season and yes, whilst it is good to have a game to go to the day after xmas, it's not the end of the world and from a personal perspective, if there is no public transport on boxing day then I'm happy it's moved because I can now get to the game.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Obviously you guys havant be going to football long enough to know the importance of Boxing Day football .

Been going to football for over 30 years but don't see the importance of Boxing Day football. explain it to us