Derby Day vs Varsity which is better?

There are two approaches Universities take when playing against their rival University in a non BUCS event. The one is the traditional varsity which is implemented by Oxbridge and Russel group universities who compete against former polytechnics. This is when each sport is played over the academic year at various times and often at professional sports venues.

The other is used by the Bristol Universities and East Anglia versus Essex, to name a few. This is when a whole day is designated for every sport to be competed in various locations across either the campus or the city.

Which one is better? Does it depend on the University?

For more sport minded Universities the first one, which I will call varsity, is better. Whereas for less historically sport minded Universities the second, which I will call Derby Day, is superior.

Poster of the University of Essex's
American Football promoting 
Derby Day 2014
The reasons behind this is that Derby Day unites the University for one day a year and for those who do not necessarily enjoy sport get the urge to support their sports teams. It is for only one day a year so it feels like they have done their duty but only 24 hours of their lives has been taken up by something that they are not entirely interested in.

It also gives the opportunity for less renowned sports to get the deserved support and attention that other sports do. For example Derby Day 2014 saw a thrilling climax in the Pool matches where, normally an under supported sport, there was the same level of interest as a other more mainstream sports receive.






The sheer amount of interest across the two universities can be best explained by this tweet  from Concrete UEA Student's Newspaper: https://twitter.com/Concrete_UEA/status/445332754092134400/photo/1

No matter the results throughout the day there is always interest in each event. It just so happened that this year it was the closest in recent years.

In varsity though, because of the high level in sport at these Universities, stadiums are filled to watch the one off events. Unlike Derby Day, only first teams play which gives each match an increased edge to it.

There is also more professional coverage of the events, due to the stadia that teams played and also the detailed attention that they can give to each match. Unlike Derby Day, only one sport is played in the same week so there is huge build up for that one sport. However, coverage of Derby Day is getting significantly better each year. Soon each of the over 30 sports on derby day will have the same coverage as each specific varsity match.

This is the highlights of the Nottingham varsity Ice Hockey match: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gp5tUJi6c4

if you look for other links there are 40 minute pre game shows and live videos of the whole match. This level of coverage epitomises the difference between the days. Derby Day joins a University in support in a more fun filled day, but still with the necessary competitive edge. Where as varsity has the feel of a professional sports team derby, often due to the standard play, coverage, lack of matches and the facilities used.

In conclusion it really depends on the University with both concepts offering a lot and are fantastic spectacles.

Does the technical area cause more harm then good?

In the light of Alan Pardew's seven game ban for headbutting Hull City's David Meyler calls for a reassessment of the technical have been brought forward.

Pardew, not shy of touchline infringements having been in trouble with the FA on four previous occasions, will not be allowed in the stadium for the first three games and will be banned from the touchline for the next four.

What I'm going to look at is how crucial is the technical area in football?

In other sports it plays a significant part for head coaches. In American Football the coach plays the most crucial role in the whole operation. They call the plays, with the help of specialist coaches, and are constantly interacting with members of the squad.

With the stop start nature of American Football it is crucial that the coach uses this time to orchestrate their plans.

Is their need for this level of interaction with players in the beautiful game?

In Rugby Union manages sit in boxes or in the stands away from the action as they put faith in their players and use the week before to fully prepare them.

However, the formations in rugby is rigid and cannot be changed, where as football you can have any formation you want. Also in rugby the coaches are down on the touchline interacting at all times.

The main issue with managers is their interactions with the referees on the sideline. It is perfectly fine them sorting out tactics and interacting with their players but often Managers can lose their cool and lash out at referees.

Ian Holloway speaks about this issue in a very reassuring and frank manner. This video was taken before Crystal Palace played Manchester United, back when he managed Palace. He speaks about how it's not the end of the world because he can give team talks before and at half time, he has the chance to prepare them and speak to coaches who had to make the decisions at his expense. However, being the passionate man he is he wants to do as much as possible to help his team:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Y_LsGlHVk

Managers do not need necessarily need to be there to make an impact on the game and due to the frequent infringements that occur across all leagues (I was unable to find statistics but there were thousands of news articles about touchline bans).

However, there will be uproar amongst managers and will there will be major backing of the LMA to stop any move to take managers away from the technical areas even though they do more harm than good there.

Armchair Fans Fund Football

Being called an armchair fan is an insult. This derogatory term, if given to you, means that you do not support your team enough and is a means of questioning not only whether you support the club but whether you should support them. It almost feels like being told that the club do not need someone like you supporting the them.
 Fulham fan complains as BT Vision camera ruins his view of the match

However, armchair fans are a crucial part of football nowadays. There are two reasons why they have become more fervent:

The cost and demand for a match day ticket has become astronomical for some people.

The game has become so global that fans can come from all corners of the globe meaning that Television coverage is more readily available.    

As seen in the image, though, there are the negative connotations of television coverage. Less fans come to the games causing a lack of atmosphere and the cameras need to be placed somewhere which means that views can be impaired.
                                         
Television rights and coverage is, in spite of the above, far too crucial to be stopped because of complaints such as this. This is because of the rise of the armchair fan as the cost of football becomes unbearable.

At the start of the 2013/4 season in the Premier League, contradictory to common belief. the average for the most expensive adult season ticket fell 1.6% (from £546.30 in 2012 to £537.60 in 2013). The average for the cheapest adult match-day ticket is down 1.9% (from £21.24 to £20.85). The average for the most expensive adult match-day ticket dropped around 1% (from £34.11 to £33.81).

These prices are still tough to afford for people. It is also not just the price themselves but also the price of travel to get there. Fuel plays a key part in travel costs and as the table below demonstrates this is becoming ever more expensive.

Month	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
January	87.3p	104.0p	87.0p	111.4p	127.9p	133.3p	132.7p
February	86.7p	104.3p	90.2p	112.1p	128.7p	135.1p	137.1p
March	89.4p	106.4p	90.8p	115.6p	132.2p	138.9p	138.8p
April	92.6p	108.1p	94.8p	120.5p	134.7p	141.9p	136.7p
May	95.6p	112.5p	97.7p	121.0p	136.7p	137.9p	133.9p
June	96.9p	117.6p	102.2p	118.2p	135.7p	133.1p	134.6p
July	96.7p	118.7p	103.0p	117.3p	134.9p	132.1p	135.7p
August	96.0p	113.4p	103.9p	116.2p	135.5p	135.9p	137.5p
September	95.3p	112.0p	106.2p	115.3p	135.4p	139.6p	137.7p
October	97.7p	104.7p	105.7p	117.4p	134.6p	138.5p	132.4p
November	101.1p	94.9p	108.4p	118.9p	133.8p	135.3p	130.6p
December	102.8p	89.5p	108.2p	122.0p	132.5p	132.7p	131.0p

Source petrolprices.com

With growing concerns in the Crimea region prices in Oil could well increase. This also comes with a 2.8% increase in train prices meaning that those able to get to games has become harder.

It is not just the financial loss in going to games, there is also the emotional loss that comes with prioritising a live football match rather than spending time with loved ones.

Time spent at home watching a game last 2 hours, the time spent watching a game live a the ground lasts over 5 hours at least with whole weekends sometimes being taken up.

The money that clubs now get from television rights means that viewership is incredibly crucial. The amount that television companies make in revenue is dependent on selling ad space with the cost of this space heavily dependent on viewership.

With the changes in sport broadcasting it is key for clubs that BT and BSkyB continue to have strong viewership.

BT bought a large proportion of televised football rights, boosting this Premier League season's TV deal to a record £3 billion over three years, a 71% increase.

This has a major impact for every club in the Premier League as it equates to at least £14 million more per year for each football club.

Without these armchair fans there would not be this amount of money available. Many of these fans either cannot afford the games or cannot afford the time to watch the games but still watch the games on television. Do not discredit the armchair fan but make sure that they watch as much football on the television as possible.