Garry Farquhar urges Highland League to get radical
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IT’S time to get radical - that is the plea made to the HFL management committee ahead of their crunch meeting this Thursday.
The meeting could see the HFL split over the issue of midweek games in the event of league expansion, but there are deeper issues to be addressed, Buckie Thistle president Garry Farquhar has stated.
Farquhar commented: "What is clear from the issue of midweek games, league expansion and the pyramid system is that a serious rethink is needed.
"It shows we need a radical shake-up and that, in my opinion, revolves around summer football.
"I strongly believe that this will benefit the clubs and the game as a whole. Summer football would, I believe, encourage higher crowds because of the better weather, with families and older people more willing to come along and support their local teams. This, of course, means higher revenue for the clubs themselves.
"One of the old arguments against summer football was both players and fans going away on holiday, but I would say to this that it isn’t true, or at least as true, as it used to be. People go on holiday all the time during the year now, you don’t have people disappearing in droves on the trades holidays like you used to."
Summer football is an issue which has been kicking round Scottish football for many years and Mr Farquhar believes now is the time to trial it in the HFL.
"We need to look at this seriously now, and for me the HFL would be the ideal guinea pig for it," he continued. "I don’t think we can go on as we are.
"You just have to look at the number of games cancelled in the Highland League this season already - and remember, this winter hasn’t been particularly harsh - to see how much sense summer football makes in our climates.
"I believe it’s something that the majority of the fans would be at least willing to try."
