Messed around kickoff times



Picture: bods

If there is anything more ridiculous than the FA being able to bully, sorry persuade, tinpot little fanzines and fans’ sites into not publishing fixtures lists without first paying a fee, it must be the fact that these lists are worthless in any case.

Remember thinking that we would start our Premiership campaign against Spurs at 3pm on Saturday August 11? And that we then played Birmingham on Tues Aug 14?

Wrong. The opening game has been changed to suit telly and will now be played at 12.45pm – and to hell with the fans if they find the switch makes travel plans difficult or even impossible.

And Ian Todd at the London and Southern England branch has just pointed out that as a result of Birmingham’s opening game being moved to the Sunday, their next, against us, will now be
a day later, on Wed Aug 15.

The Liverpool home game on Aug 25 also changes to 12.45pm, and Keano’s emotional return to Old Trafford is now scheduled for 5.15pm the following Saturday, Sept 1.

Other changes: Arsenal (a) will be at noon on Sunday Oct 7, West Ham (a) at 4pm on Sunday Oct 21 and Man City (a) at 8pm on Monday Nov 5. You’ll just have to tell the kids there’ll be no Bonfire Night this year.

Oh, and one more for now: the home game against Newcastle comes forward to 12.45pm on Sat Nov 10.

A big thank you to Sky and Setanta.

3 thoughts on “Messed around kickoff times”

  1. I have mixed views. As a neutral I enjoy seeing the games on Saturdays, Sundays and especially Monday evenings. But if Bristol City ever attain the dizzy heights, I will be welll unhappy at the varied times and days of the matches.

  2. What annoys me is when there is so little consideration for the fans by scheduling a Portsmouth vs Man City game,or one with similar distance between the teams, for a Monday night.Common sense just does not come into it.The 12 noon kick off on a Sunday is just plain daft.Any football fan worth his salt is still recovering from the night before and usually football is the last thing on their mind.
    These satellite channels think that a flash of cash gives them a god given right to do what they like.The clubs appease them since the fans are no longer the lifeblood of many of the league clubs.They get more money from TV and corporate hospitality.
    Anyway better not slag off Setanta too much.Just noticed that all our pre-season tour of Ireland is live and at £9.99 a month the offer is too good to miss.Away to sell my soul to the devil and subscribe.Who mentioned poacher turned gamekeeper ?

  3. It could be worse. No long Monday night trips and at least the Arsenal kick off means an overnight stay can be booked well in advance. Anyway, just think of all that TV money has done for the game before you get too critical. Had it not been for Sky money we would never have been able to afford the wages og Torre Andre Flo or Anthony le Tallec. Hold on, I think I’m destroying my own argument here.

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