[quote]
Experts sound alarm as A-League faces ‘existential’ threat from rising temperatures and more games
It’s the “existential” crisis that Australian football has to face, on a collision course with weather that tests athletes to their limits.
With summer temperatures rising around Australia since the A-League began in 2005, games are being played in increasingly difficult conditions – and next season the challenges will get significantly worse.
This weekend W-League and A-League fixtures have had to be rescheduled due to extreme heat forecasts, and A-League officials are counting their blessings that both the Melbourne derby and Friday night’s clash between Western Sydney and Western United fell on days sandwiched by brutal temperatures in both cities.
From player welfare to product quality, the challenges posed by hotter summers are already influencing the planning of the draw for next season’s A-League, W-League and National Youth League (NYL).
The advent of Macarthur FC to the A-League means a sixth game to include, where for much of the season there are currently only five “natural” weekend slots: at 7.30pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and an early evening game on the latter two days.
When Perth play at home on Saturday night, the time difference with the Eastern Seaboard allows for a sixth game, but there are only seven of those in this year’s schedule.
/quote]https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/football/a-league/experts-sound-alarm-as-aleague-faces-existential-threat-from-rising-temperatures-and-more-games/news-story/a1df4d326c3c5b7b2218a6c466c6f56a
Isn't part of the solution giving us 5pm kick offs again