Winter break vital, says Arsenal chairman

FOOTBALL Association vice-chairman David Dein yesterday revealed the first steps towards a winter break in the Premiership season.

Dein, also vice-chairman of champions Arsenal, is a strong advocate of the proposal as is England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Others supportive of the change, which could come into force as early as the 2003-04 season, are Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier.

That pair, and the 18 other top-flight managers, will have the opportunity to nudge the idea of the three-week shut-down towards reality later this summer at a twice-yearly Premier League technical meeting. Should the bosses back the plans, it would then revert to the 20 clubs to pass approval.

Dein, who suggests the break could start immediately after the traditional New Year’s Day fixtures, said: ‘‘We have to consider how to get the best out of the product, this will maximise it as we try to make sure we the players are as fit as possible during the course of the season.’’

The timing of the break, however, unlike the current ones in Spain and Italy would not impinge on the festive period traditionally so popular in England. Dein said: ‘‘After the New Year’s Day game there should be something like a three-week break, which would give the players an opportunity to go off somewhere on holiday for a couple of weeks.

‘‘It will be good for everyone whether they be managers, players or fans.”

The intensity of English football can take its toll and Eriksson was concerned at the hectic, relentless schedule his England players faced before they headed to Japan and Korea.

‘‘Sven thought that at the World Cup some of the players were not physically at the their peak. That was shown in the later stages,’’ said Dein.

To ensure that clubs did not take advantage of the season lull and arrange lucrative tours to places like the Far East, the FA would not sanction matches.

One problem, however, in the scheme of things would be how best to make up the lost time without reducing the number of top-flight clubs.

Beginning the season one week earlier and finishing one week later could be an option - but in World Cup or European Championship summers that would concertina campaigns even closer to preparations.

Financially the break would not effect the Premiership’s cash flow with approximately 90-95% of gate revenue now collected in season ticket sales.

Now it is up to England’s top bosses to decide whether to usher the introduction nearer.

However, Birmingham chairman David Gold is not convinced the proposals for a winter break would get off the ground.

The Blues won the Nationwide play-off final in May and he reckons the big clubs in the top flight have enough playing staff to cope with the rigours of Premier League football.

‘‘They have huge squads and are well equipped to use the squad procedure to rest quality players,” he said.

‘‘They should be able to cope with all the problems.

‘‘I can’t see it helping Birmingham and the vast majority of clubs and I can’t see it going through.’’

Gold also played down talk of reducing the number of teams in the Premiership, something he could not see all 20 member clubs voting for.

He added: ‘‘It would suit the bigger clubs to have a smaller league and that would do away with the need for a winter break, but I can’t see that happening.

‘‘Only six or eight big clubs have a problem with it and the rest are in good shape and turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.’’