Menton calls for summer soccer - January 16, 2001
FAI treasurer Brendan Menton has become the latest soccer chief to call for a switch to summer football. His call comes in the wake of a weekend which saw another three Eircom League games postponed because of frozen pitches - and three teams put the expense of fruitless long journeys.
"I favour a spring, summer and autumn soccer season," Menton said. "There must now be realistic consideration of a total winter shutdown.
"It was most unfortunate that over the weekend three games were postponed even though clubs had to make long journeys before being informed that their matches had been called off."
Nineteen premier and first division games - of which nine are still outstanding - fell victim to bad weather over the Christmas.
Of the nine games, Waterford are scheduled to play St. Francis tonight at the RSC; Kilkenny are due to travel to Derry tomorrow night; and Cobh Ramblers are down to play Home Farm Fingal in Whitehall. But that still leaves six to be slotted in, with the FAI Cup third round coming up. And tomorrow night's Derry v Kilkenny fixture looks distinctly dodgy.