Hard pitches, floodlit stadiums, and congested fixtures lists are some of the many hallmarks of an English football winter.
Another, of course, is the luminous matchday ball.
Each year, Nike - the official ball supplier of the Premier League since 2000 - releases a new yellow-coloured ball for the winter months. It is traditionally used between the end of November and the end of February.
You can go to the official Nike website to shop the latest matchday balls.
This year's Premier League ball is the Nike Flight. If last year is anything to go by, you can expect the winter version of the ball to be released for purchase in early November .
The original idea of the colourful football was, of course, to stand out in the event of snowfall.
Warmer winters and quality undersoil heating systems - particularly in England's top flight - has, however, largely made this need redundant.
Snow-covered surfaces, orange-coloured pitch lines, and mounds of snow shovelled against advertising hoardings are now increasingly rarer sights.
Despite this, the argument now is that the greater contrast of a yellow ball in darker environments, including cloud-covered early nights, continues to be preferential.
