By Brian McLauchlin

Motherwell manager Craig Brown has called upon the Scottish Football Association to look again at introducing a winter break.

Brown says that the football calendar ought to be reviewed for the overall good of the sport in Scotland.

"We need a sensible playing season. We should alter the season and certainly have a winter break," he said.

"One of the reasons against it is the financial problems but we have to alter things in the interests of the game."

And the Steelmen manager added: "If you look at Germany in the World Cup, they insist on a winter break and you can see how good they are doing both at club level and on the international stage, so we have to learn lessons whenever we can."

Scotland's Premier League scrapped its winter break in 2003 after some clubs complained about cash-flow problems. The break had been part of the SPL set-up since its formation in 1998, although the 2002 break was abandoned because of that year's World Cup.

We will be fit for the opening fixture, that's for sure Craig Brown on his team's readiness to face Breidablik

Brown was speaking as his first-team squad returned to training ahead of their Europa League tie against the Icelandic side Breidablik in two weeks' time.

Breidablik are currently midway through their season and sit in second place in the Icelandic league and that, Brown says, gives them an advantage over his own team.

"They are in the middle of their season, which is beneficial to them, but we won't use that as an excuse and we will be fit for the opening fixture, that's for sure," he said.

"We have plenty of information about them and we will have them watched twice before we play them.

"We are determined to try to get through this tie and try to progress to the group stage."

Motherwell's first leg will be at Fir Park on Thursday 15 July, with the return taking place in Kopavogur on 22 July.

The Lanarkshire side lost to Steaua Bucharest in the third qualifying round last season after beating Llanelli and Albanians Flamurtari.

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