It’s not a funny old game – SupercupNI finals

IT STRIKES me that footballers never really take a proper break any more.

And I’m not talking Premier League players; I’m talking run-of-the-mill domestic players who ply their trade in the Danske Bank Premiership, Lough 41 Championship, intermediate and junior football, even youth football.

Officially most competitive football was wrapped up in May – apart from the Mid Ulster League of course – and isn’t due to commence until the first Saturday in August at the earliest.

So if my maths is right that’s a break of anything between nine to 12 weeks – but to me it doesn’t seem like it! In fact, it appears to me that there has been little or no down season at all.

Fivemiletown’s participation in the finals of the Premier and Marshall Cup finals dragged last season into June and before that month was out most teams were back at pre-season.

Oddly enough Dungannon Swifts, the most senior team locally, had their’ first pre-season friendly against Dergview last Saturday, July 9, by which time a number of junior teams had already clocked up three or four games.

Swifts’ boss Dean Shiels, who was at the Euros with the Northern Ireland ladies, does appear to be taking a slightly more relaxed approach to pre-season than some, and perhaps that will prove to be the right call.

You certainly don’t want to under cook preparations; nor do you want to be kicking the season off already tired and perhaps even carrying an injury or two.

It’s all about striking the right balance and making sure that players and teams are hitting the ground running. It’s also worth saying that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to getting it right.

Forgetting about the preparations and planning for the season ahead I do wonder where has the closed season gone? Why does it feel that we haven’t had a clean break and a period of rest away from our beloved game.

Back in my day- a long, long time ago – it seemed that we had definite boundaries when compared to now. The lines have been badly blurred and it seems that one season more or less runs into another.

I suspect one of the main reasons for this is the explosion of youth football over recent years. The local Brendan Keogh Youth League is active in both winter and summer at different ages groups and that plays a big part in extending the football season at both ends.

No sooner has the BKYL been wrapped up than we’re straight into Foyle Cup and, following that, the SuperCupNI. Both are major success stories in their own right with the Foyle Cup in particular growing beyond all recognition in recent years.

The tournament before Covid recorded over a 1, 000 games played in just five and half days – that’s truly phenomenal.

Preparations for both competitions have been ramped up in the last month or so and for those involved it’s been full steam ahead.

The SuperCup showpiece finals take place on Friday evening, July 29 and for some the new season will kick-off just eight days later. The lucky ones might get a fortnight……..at the very most!

Is it any wonder then that an off-season simply doesn’t exist any more.

On top of that and, as I eluded to earlier, teams return to pre-season training earlier than they used to. Some of that is down to teams continually trying to become more professional, fitter and stronger with every new season.

However another reason is so that clubs can hold onto players – that’s very much a personal opinion!

If one team begins a couple of weeks earlier than a rival team then players, if they were asked, might go along to a training session of the ‘other’ club just to get a few early yards in or in some cases test the water!

There is nothing worse than a player feeling at a lose end for a week or two. If he enjoys a training session and is approached in the right manner – with or without incentives – he might well consider jumping ship.

Clubs keep a close eye on what their rivals are doing and in many cases react accordingly; their hand is being forced in some respects. That has obviously resulted in pre-season beginning as early as June in most cases.

As I have outlined there are multiple reasons for no real end or start to the seasons any more – it feels like they have all morphed into one continous football odyssey, for want of a better word.

Unfortunately, if you happened to be a sports reporter with a particular love for the beautiful game, it also means there is little opportunity to well and truly switch off.