Thankfully by around 5pm this evening the circus will be over with, and by that I mean the constant speculation and counter speculation that permeates the modern day transfer window. I realise that to some fans the whole day represents a reason to get excited about potential last minute transfer deals. On the other hand there is usually as much substance to it all as there is in a plate of chilli without any chilli or spices.
The fanfare that has built up around it has become a ridiculous sideshow, and often a source of conversation in the media outlets when there is nothing at all to talk about. Sky Sports News is the worst criminal, every half an hour they reveal a ticking digital clock and yes, it really is counting down to the end of the transfer window- just in case you needed a reminder!
The BBC have similarly got in on the act in recent seasons, resorting to the same text updates that they have for their coverage of live matches. As if the irony isn't lost on them, the updates also incorporate mentions of the fact that 'not much is going on at the moment, but there is surely plenty that will unfold'- in a few hours time though.
Some people will point to the 'amusing' sightings that there are of certain players or managers up and down the country. There is always plenty of endlessly 'funny' conjecture that is used to fill in the mind-numbing gaps between any actual and real transfer activity. It would be no surprise to hear that Sven-Goran Eriksson has convinced Zinedine Zidane to come out of retirement at Notts County. Oh hang on... it's just come up on the BBC update, only swap Zidane for Henrik Larsson- amazing(!)
I don't mean to rain on anyone’s parade, if you really get that excited about transfer deadline day and all the hoo-ha that accompanies it, then great- I wish you well. On the other hand I'm sure that there are others out there that agree with me. The frustration comes down to there not actually being any proper reporting being done, ultimately it is lazy journalism and this is when football gossip is at it's worst.
I remember the last January transfer window only too well. The anticipation of Arsenal signing Andrei Arshavin became excruciating, the information pointed to the transfer being a done deal. And yet even those employed at the BBC ended up commentating on what a drawn-out and shambled process it had become, when it had still not been announced come the last tick of the Sky clock.
All of this doesn't necessarily mean that I disagree with the whole transfer window process. In some ways it makes perfect sense. It does quell the incessant transfer talk during the majority of the two halves of the season, coming either side of the January window. As well as this, it does put some structure in place that limits the richer clubs from signing players and destabilising another club, at least until January.
The alternative is to give carte blanche to all clubs and to scrap the transfer windows. Some may argue that this would then give particularly smaller clubs a hard time. They would have no way of protecting their assets and thus if a player emerges, they could be instantly snapped up by a 'bigger' club.
This may be true, but almost all deals of this nature are relatively unavoidable. Players may occasionally remain loyal and turn down offers, but usually the endless courting of a player does lead to a result. Only with clubs of a similar stature is there likely to be offers turned down, and even then the recent Joleon Lescott heave-ho has shown the strength that players can have on their own destiny.
If there was an open-season on transfer activity then it would simply be allowing the inevitable to happen sooner. It would also allow the clubs that lose players, the opportunity to go out and sign their own replacements. One of the problems of the current structure is that with a deal that comes near the end of the transfer window, there is little chance of the selling club being able to re-invest the recouped transfer fee.
At least with an open window throughout, all clubs would have a chance to buy and sell. I am doubtful of how much it would negatively change things for clubs either. It is notoriously more difficult for big deals to be done in the January transfer window and I think this would be replicated if the window was always open. However big or small clubs are, they are less willing to chop and change once the season is underway.
Going back to how I started, the major positive would be that we would not have to put up with what is mostly a non-event. Yes, the transfer window will lead to the odd exciting last-minute deal, but is it really worth all the effort and attention?
Football is the World's greatest sport, but on occasion it gets close to over-saturating itself. This is not always the fault of FIFA, Uefa or indeed our own FA. The media outlets are desperate to cover every last morsel that is served up, even if it is a rumour from the third cousin once removed of Chelsea's media secretary, for example!
This kind of conjecture though, is mostly confined to the scrambling of information when transfer deadline day comes. If opening up the market means that I don't have to put up with Sky Sports News countdown clock any longer, then it may well be a good day for football after all...