The games played the week to 10 days over Christmas/New year, are possibly more about tradition no? Always played them then, way before TV money was in. Could still broad cast the games, just spread them out a bit more.
Yeah, I thought it was mainly tradition too, FLT. But I was listening on TMNC on Radio 5 and there it was revealed to me that it's extremely lucrative as no other high profile league plays over that period. And being that the PL is the highest profile of all, the overseas buyers pay a big wedge. The sheer fact that there are games shortly before Xmas, Boxing Day, Xmas Week and around New Year makes us very watchable for armchair viewers.
Wasn't it still the "Friends Provident St. Mary's stadium" at that time? IIRC all our sponsors since have had right to get their name inserted into the stadium name, but none have bothered to take up the option due to everyone, even the media, shortening the name back down to just "St. Mary's" back then - it's not been worth the money as they don't get any exposure.
The winter break won't be initiated for around 5 years, owing to the latest tv contract not allowing for it. Read that somewhere, but can't remember where.
If you look at the front of the stadium at the right angle, you can still see the words "Friends Provident".
Evidence that KillerCephalopod was accurate all along. Taken from inside the industrial site across the road, over the wall: please log in to view this image In the days before any commemorative statutes to Milan Mandaric or indeed the great Ted Bates himself.
I can see you're both questioning DTLW's wisdom of actually posting that tosh. I came this ][ close to posting such a comment.
They only love him because football hipsters originally started bandwagonning Dortmund around the time of the Against Modern Football bollocks (and other such bollocks). #againstagainstmodernfootball
It's the same with Zlatan. Yes, very good player, but for **** sake stop going on about a guy who will most likely retire in a year, having scored maybe 10 goals yet still have the biggest ego known to man.