We are all too aware that football supporters are creatures of habit. The match day routine dominates many households and for keen fans the phrase ‘When Saturday Comes’ relates more to the build up to kick off than to a monthly magazine. While most have adjusted (reluctantly) to the occasional Sunday game imposed by the hated TV schedulers, the prospect of a weekend without a team to cheer is a bleak one.
Fireworks at Hampden
Our season has barely reached its first quarter and we have had two interruptions. After a busy August with five weekend games there was a blank at the beginning of September. A further four rounds of the league followed before the October gap. Motherwell will have another run of four Saturday games but ahead of the trip to Rugby Park on 23 November there will be ... a blank weekend.
Internationals have to be fitted into the calendar but the planners have to be aware that deviations from regular weekly league fixtures give supporters an opportunity to lose the habit. With many clubs struggling to balance their books any drop in the numbers through the turnstiles is significant.
Would we grumble so much if the international team had qualified for the World Cup?
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