Any point having fixtures the week before Christmas?

[taylov]

Not an observation on yesterday's perfomance !!

Look at some of the attendances - 401 (guess where); Gateshead's 501 (lowest of the season); 769 at Southport; 969 (Woking's first sub 1000 gate for a long time).  This happens year in, year out.  Surely it's better to have a 2-week break and go back to having proper local derby games on Boxing Day -  not 7.45pm kick offs on a Tuesday night

[nobadspitfire]

Instead of playing yesterday, all the games could be played on a Tuesday in February what higher gates are guaranteed! Boxing day local derby against Borehamwood was on the fixture list but bamboozled by BT Spit. A one off, I'm sure. Next season we'll have a Boxing day local derby away at somewhere like Dover with the reverse game on NYD.

Whatever the fixture schedule comes up with some people are going to complain. It's a very imperfect science now left to a computer, however we still play Halifax away on a Tuesday evening.

[hantslondoner]

Keep the Saturday games - we need something to combat the bloody Christmas shopping!

Totally agree about having a proper local derby on Boxing Day.

[unknownquantity]

On the scheduled fixture list we had only three December games with no games on either of the last two Saturdays in the month, although I concede we would have at least one F A Trophy game.   Unfortunately one cannot predict which part of the season will have the worst weather and in my view if too many games are put back into the second half of the season teams risk a potential fixture backlog and it becomes harder to fit in rearranged games.  Anyway I think that part of the fun of football is seeing it played in all weathers.

With regard to the F A Cup second round I believe it used to be regionalised which meant that midweek replays did not involve so much travelling, but I think perhaps with the money involved there might have been complaints if teams from one half of the draw had an easier route to the next round.

[taylov]

The First AND Second rounds used to be regionalised but it wasn't ever of interest to EFC as we were still in the Wessex League at the time - it changed in 1998.

[tenacres]

I think its worth pointing out that there will be no games the Saturday before Christmas (the 24th!). Not sure if there would have been had it been Saturday the 23rd?! Guessing there would have been if it had been Saturday the 22nd (or before).

I guess the point the OP is making is should there be any Saturday football after a given date in Dec - around the 12th?!

I can see the idea but personally I do not agree with it.

Midweek games in the depths of winter often get really low crowds, not sure if there is any midweek football on Tues 20th/Weds 21st - but would think that it would be very poorly attended.

[unknownquantity]

Who is OP?  I think there is some football this midweek, but I would guess these are either cup replays or rescheduled games.  I also think that it has not been unknown for matches to be played on Saturday 24th December.

[tenacres]

Sorry - OP is internet speak for Original Poster