Amateur football would find summer switch difficult

Dec 24 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

SWITCHING amateur football to the summer would be controversial and fraught with difficulties.

That’s the view of a long serving Ayrshire official who has described the current whiteout as the worst he can remember.

Morris Tonner, who is also match secretary for the West of Scotland Cup, has managed to stage only two ties in the last four Saturdays.

But despite the mounting backlog and the forecast of more Arctic weather to come, he insists the season will sort itself out.

Tonner said: “This is the longest period I can remember without having a game played and I have been involved for 15 years.

“However, we are fortunate that the first part of the season was particularly good so before the big freeze came we were ahead of where we were last season. So at least there is a cushion.

“No doubt clubs will complain when they get to April and May when the midweek games come thick and fast but we always get there.”

Tonner, the Ayrshire general secretary, admits the thought of summer football sounds an attractive proposition. He said: “However, a change to summer is not without complication. There would be a question of pitch availability.

“Local authorities, who own most of the parks that the clubs use, want to rest the pitches in the summer months.

“It sounds extremely attractive to play in the summer but it’s not simple and it’s a controversial issue.

“A lot of people stick loyally to the concept of playing in the winter and don’t want to change. However, I suspect they are not those trying to organise matches.

“We have to recognise that to bring about a major switch would not be the easiest to accomplish.”

Only one game beat the weather on Saturday and that was a re-arranged Premier League match.

Leaders Hurlford Thistle, who have lost only once in 13 matches, drew 4-4 with Galston United.