CELTIC players are enjoying the warm-weather training in Gran Canaria, and you can only imagine how envious players at other clubs are.

But while a winter break for all would undoubtedly be welcomed and beneficial - not least to the fans who are still recovering from the festive season - I can't see it ever returning.

Could you imagine a club chairman choosing to close down their business for three or four weeks during the season?

You still have running costs, but you would have no income.

Celtic can afford to do it, and have very right to take up the invitation from the SPFL to postpone their game this weekend.

The cost of their trip to Gran Canaria will be offset by the invitation to play PSV Eindhoven tomorrow and Sparta Prague on Tuesday in the Maspalomas Tournament.

Some might question how this constitutes the rest Ronny Deila claims they need after playing many more games than any other club in Scotland.

But this is a million miles away from playing competitive games here.

Ideally, they would have flown out after a Saturday game and returned the following Thursday.

That way they would not have had to postpone any games, and not risk falling further behind in the league race.

It has always surprised me that England don't have a winter break.

They certainly have the money down there to make it possible.

Ironically, it is perhaps the TV companies who plough billions into their game who don't want them to shut down at this time.

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