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As Wanderers re-focus on a free weekend in January, midfielder Karl Henry argues football’s schedulers have got it all wrong.
Cardiff City’s involvement in the FA Cup fourth round leaves Phil Parkinson and his squad extra time to prepare for the visit of Bristol City in a week’s time.
The rest is a welcome one within the Whites camp, not least for Henry who reckons the workload over Christmas – Bolton played four times in 10 days – might have been a factor in him picking up a hamstring injury and missing the first two games of the New Year.
Opinion is divided within football on whether England should follow some of Europe’s top leagues and have a winter break, those campaigning for the status quo arguing the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Day fixtures attract bigger crowds.
But Henry challenges the view, and would be happy to see fixtures spread out more evenly across the calendar.
“In my own opinion the Christmas period is ridiculous, I haven’t agreed with it in all my time in football,” he told The Bolton News. “We have this thing in the game where we respect tradition, the way it is. But I don’t think anyone progresses in the world if you just keep things the way there are.
“To have all the fixtures we have over Christmas and then have loads of breaks is ludicrous. I am definitely not a fan of the way it is organised.
“Does everyone need a game on Boxing Day? Would they show up on the 27th? Of course they would.”
Henry limped out of the January 1 win over Hull City at the Macron, followed shortly by Darren Pratley with a hairline fracture in his leg.
Parkinson’s squad was tested to the full over the festive period, but emerged on the right side of the relegation zone after some encouraging results.
But the standard of football played across the leagues deteriorated, argues Henry, who feels the current respite has come too late.
“My injury might just have been one of those things that happens,” he said. “They cram the games in and it leads to injuries and dour football – even dourer football – and I am glad there is a break coming up. But at this time right now this is a welcome break.”
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Cardiff City’s involvement in the FA Cup fourth round leaves Phil Parkinson and his squad extra time to prepare for the visit of Bristol City in a week’s time.
The rest is a welcome one within the Whites camp, not least for Henry who reckons the workload over Christmas – Bolton played four times in 10 days – might have been a factor in him picking up a hamstring injury and missing the first two games of the New Year.
Opinion is divided within football on whether England should follow some of Europe’s top leagues and have a winter break, those campaigning for the status quo arguing the traditional Boxing Day and New Year’s Day fixtures attract bigger crowds.
But Henry challenges the view, and would be happy to see fixtures spread out more evenly across the calendar.
“In my own opinion the Christmas period is ridiculous, I haven’t agreed with it in all my time in football,” he told The Bolton News. “We have this thing in the game where we respect tradition, the way it is. But I don’t think anyone progresses in the world if you just keep things the way there are.
“To have all the fixtures we have over Christmas and then have loads of breaks is ludicrous. I am definitely not a fan of the way it is organised.
“Does everyone need a game on Boxing Day? Would they show up on the 27th? Of course they would.”
Henry limped out of the January 1 win over Hull City at the Macron, followed shortly by Darren Pratley with a hairline fracture in his leg.
Parkinson’s squad was tested to the full over the festive period, but emerged on the right side of the relegation zone after some encouraging results.
But the standard of football played across the leagues deteriorated, argues Henry, who feels the current respite has come too late.
“My injury might just have been one of those things that happens,” he said. “They cram the games in and it leads to injuries and dour football – even dourer football – and I am glad there is a break coming up. But at this time right now this is a welcome break.”
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