Winter or Summer Soccer

[Regs]

Which season do you enjoy more for your football, winter or summer?

In the Winter, it is more competitive and you really are playing for something that counts however the weather is crappy (usually) and the field conditions suck.

In the Summer, it is more relaxing but the weather is much, much better and the fields are more often than not in mint condition.

Vote above and discuss the merits of each!

Cheers,

~Regs.

[girth]

I think the older I get the less I care about playing every weekend in the rain. Summer time you kinda show up when you want and have way more fun in the sun. Sidleines usually have the wives/girlfriends and kids for support as well due to the fine weather.

[Balsa]

Summer time you kinda show up when you want

Exactly why I don't like summer. You either join a team to play and have fun or you enjoy the summer without being part of a team. Drives me nuts when people just decide not to show up.........whether it is winter or summer, soccer, baseball or lawn bowling.

[Dude]

I'm w/ Balsa. I have a hard time "getting into" playing in the summer. The competitiveness is the big attraction for me.

Plus, soccer in the heat sucks.

[rangerforever]

I'll remember that Dude.
Next time you're sitting alone in the box dancing around on your tippee toes in a mean nothing summer league game l'll right fcuking rock your world into next week then.
Maybe then you'll 'get into' it.
Pussy.

Year round footballer here.
If I can still be classified as a 'footballer'.
I basically agree with what Regs said above.

Love the winter and it's competitiveness and in a twisted way, like the rain and cold and pints in a warm changeroom after.
It's the same as the European season and you're 'into' it every weekend.

Summer, I get to play with other mates of mine, along with tit simpletons like Walks and KNVB.
The level is sub standard sometimes, like when you play the Lizards, but the warm weather, sun out til 10PM, cold pints and BBQ's are a ton of fun.
Summer slows down for me work wise too which means I can get a bit more 'into' it.
Nations Cup is also the Cat's Ass.

Best part is both seasons allow for copious amounts of pints after the match.
Year round alcoholic is probably better said.

I am, and always will be,
Fencesitterforever

[Kevin Hector]

I enjoy winter soccer for the same reasons as Rangerforever.

But summer soccer is always fun you get to have guys you play against in the winter on your team in the summer. And you friends that might play at a higher or lower level get to play on the same team. plus it seems more girls come out to watch the summer league games. not that matters I'm shite.

[Dude]

Originally Posted by Rangerforever

I'll remember that Dude.
Next time you're sitting alone in the box dancing around on your tippee toes in a mean nothing summer league game l'll right fcuking rock your world into next week then.
Maybe then you'll 'get into' it.
Pussy.

Year round footballer here.
If I can still be classified as a 'footballer'.
I basically agree with what Regs said above.

Love the winter and it's competitiveness and in a twisted way, like the rain and cold and pints in a warm changeroom after.
It's the same as the European season and you're 'into' it every weekend.

Summer, I get to play with other mates of mine, along with tit simpletons like Walks and KNVB.
The level is sub standard sometimes, like when you play the Lizards, but the warm weather, sun out til 10PM, cold pints and BBQ's are a ton of fun.
Summer slows down for me work wise too which means I can get a bit more 'into' it.
Nations Cup is also the Cat's Ass.

Best part is both seasons allow for copious amounts of pints after the match.
Year round alcoholic is probably better said.

I am, and always will be,
Fencesitterforever

I must admit, it is easier to get into it when one can shoot the ball with his prada and still score.

Meh- KNVB would have had it.

~Inside, outside, pass to the back of the net.

[ghouse]

Growing up and playing my youth in the Interior Soccer has was always a Summer sport. But after 20 years of Soccer out here on the Coast It became a Winter sport to me. I enjoy both for all the reasons above. I will say that after returning to the interior for a tournament this past weekend I was reminded of the frustration of Winter vs Summer soccer from my old friends up there. Kelowna and Kamloops have just dropped right out od BC Soccer and the north is right behind. Why. Well from the guy who runs the leagues mouth. $10 a player with C forms and $25 a player with B forms goes to BC Soccer and as he put it ,(for what). Because of the 2 different playing seasons the Interior teams when going to the Provincials are 2 weeks in to their field times and the Coast has just finnished their season. Hardly fair but no ones fault. The Interior is alot weeker as is so with the fields just opening it makes it really hard to be competative. So they feel they get nothing from BC Soccer and voted BC Soccer out.
My point is ,,we are very lucky to have soccer all year round and I am glad to say I love both seasons.
Oh and This is also why our National team should be based out here as well.

[Taxman]

Originally Posted by Rangerforever

I'll remember that Dude.
Next time you're sitting alone in the box dancing around on your tippee toes in a mean nothing summer league game l'll right fcuking rock your world into next week then.
Maybe then you'll 'get into' it.
Pussy.

Summer, I get to play with other mates of mine, along with tit simpletons like Walks and KNVB.
The level is sub standard sometimes, like when you play the Lizards, but the warm weather, sun out til 10PM, cold pints and BBQ's are a ton of fun.
Summer slows down for me work wise too which means I can get a bit more 'into' it.
Nations Cup is also the Cat's Ass.

Best part is both seasons allow for copious amounts of pints after the match.
Year round alcoholic is probably better said.

I am, and always will be,
Fencesitterforever

All this from a man that has trouble "getting into" a pair of jeans ...

[girth]

Can Rangerforever fit into those jeans with elastic waste bands?

[Oranje]

Originally Posted by ghouse

My point is ,,we are very lucky to have soccer all year round and I am glad to say I love both seasons.
Oh and This is also why our National team should be based out here as well.

I have had this fight with CSA types and Toronto-based media (I have annoyed them by email quite regularly). They are clueless on this front.

I went to university for 3 years in Halifax. I can tell you from personal experience that the fields freeze by mid-November and do not become playable until late April or early May. Soccer is really a summer sport in the rest of the country.

I think the national senior programs still try and remain connected to Ontario for several reasons:

1. Sport funding is based in Ottawa;
2. Major media is in Ontario;
3. Large population in Ontario and Quebec;
4. Systematic navel-gazing.
5. Proximity to Europe for foreign-based national players. The 9 hour time difference is a killer for BC.

[Reccos]

Originally Posted by Oranje

I have had this fight with CSA types and Toronto-based media (I have annoyed them by email quite regularly). They are clueless on this front.

I went to university for 3 years in Halifax. I can tell you from personal experience that the fields freeze by mid-November and do not become playable until late April or early May. Soccer is really a summer sport in the rest of the country.

I think the national senior programs still try and remain connected to Ontario for several reasons:

1. Sport funding is based in Ottawa;
2. Major media is in Ontario;
3. Large population in Ontario and Quebec;
4. Systematic navel-gazing.
5. Proximity to Europe for foreign-based national players. The 9 hour time difference is a killer for BC.

Totally agree on points 1 - 5 as to the CSA thinking and the eastern based view of things in Canada for everything including soccer.

"Soccer is really a summer sport in the rest in the rest of the country" is true and now that I am no longer involved with a team I see the issue of winter vs spring/summer/early fall differently.

I know fields in the lower mainland could pose a challenge but when you do the math on how many games you fit in in the winter season on the coast between Sept and March, it is brutally shocking and some years it is hard to get all 18 league games plus cup play if the fields get shut too often.

The old PCL schedule of April to October has some merits for senior soccer teams to put the BC teams on the same timeline as the eastern teams for national play. But even if you forget the cup issue, the math of how many games you actually get in in the winter time frame makes an argument to consider shifting soccer to better weather.

When I was coaching I kept my team together mostly together for summer league play with some fill-ins to keep the team numbers up for vacations etc.

I believe that I have seen some of the best played games in summer in great weather (night) although field conditions get dodgy due to what is available to play on. I wouldn't use the Nations Cup as an example as it is mostly day games and it is a tournament so the toll on the players is demanding.

I am not sure that a case couldn't be made that injuries could be fewer than in the cold IF fields were better though than some cow pastures teams get for summer play.

People other than the hard core fans might even want to watch a few more games.

It is an idea that needs exploring but when I think it was, Peter Price, then President of Metro Ford who circulated that letter on this a few years ago, it mostly fell on deaf ears.