PL Xmas Eve Fixture

[David]

All those against modern football will love this one, Sky are set to announce one fixture hs to be played on Xmas Eve.

All because it lands on a Sunday and Sky don’t want to lose a game they’ve paid for.

Arsenal v Liverpool is the favourite to be picked

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2017/09/27/arsenal-liverpool-could-play-christmas-eve-years-super-sunday/amp/

 

[Sith Happens]

Its certainly the most attractive fixture. Might not be so bad if its a 2pm kick off, but no doubt it will be 4pm.

Stoke v west brom would make more sense if they take fans into account, but they won't.

I know its tradition but Christmas time is a time I hate games, don't like boxing day or new years day games. Think we got a game shifted a few years back on nye for sky, 5.30 kick off..reading I think, right pain in the rear end.

All OK for the armchair or pub viewer.

Can't imagine what it was like when games were played Christmas day.

 

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

I love the boxing day match if it is at Pride Park, a great way to get out of the house after being stuck in with relatives the day before. Nice to get out and blow off some steam with a few pints in the Brunswick and a Derby match.

[RoyMac5]

4 hours ago, David said:

All those against modern football will love this one, Sky are set to announce one fixture hs to be played on Xmas Eve.

Last time wasn't that long ago: the 1995 L**ds v Man United game which began at midday on the 24th. But I'm waiting for them to bring the Christmas Day fixtures back!

[CWC1983]

11 hours ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

I love the boxing day match if it is at Pride Park, a great way to get out of the house after being stuck in with relatives the day before. Nice to get out and blow off some steam with a few pints in the Brunswick and a Derby match.

Same for me, love the boxing day games. 

Time to catch up with familiar faces as most people venture home for Christmas.

It's the nicest smelling and well dressed day of the season as everyone has the new aftershave and new clobber on....

 

[Van der MoodHoover]

On 28/09/2017 at 11:05, Paul71 said:

Its certainly the most attractive fixture. Might not be so bad if its a 2pm kick off, but no doubt it will be 4pm.

Stoke v west brom would make more sense if they take fans into account, but they won't.

I know its tradition but Christmas time is a time I hate games, don't like boxing day or new years day games. Think we got a game shifted a few years back on nye for sky, 5.30 kick off..reading I think, right pain in the rear end.

All OK for the armchair or pub viewer.

Can't imagine what it was like when games were played Christmas day.

 

Derby based grandfather used to have to work Christmas day morning. What with that and the match nobody saw him till boxing day. 

[Mafiabob]

On 28/09/2017 at 10:05, Paul71 said:

Its certainly the most attractive fixture. Might not be so bad if its a 2pm kick off, but no doubt it will be 4pm.

Stoke v west brom would make more sense if they take fans into account, but they won't.

I know its tradition but Christmas time is a time I hate games, don't like boxing day or new years day games. Think we got a game shifted a few years back on nye for sky, 5.30 kick off..reading I think, right pain in the rear end.

All OK for the armchair or pub viewer.

Can't imagine what it was like when games were played Christmas day.

 

Should be a winter break in my opinion, but that'll go whistle as we plod on show king live games in the Far East and beyond for pounds, shillings and pence.....

Would be welcome to have one over here..... everywhere else stops in Europe. 

[Sith Happens]

10 minutes ago, Mafiabob said:

Should be a winter break in my opinion, but that'll go whistle as we plod on show king live games in the Far East and beyond for pounds, shillings and pence.....

Would be welcome to have one over here..... everywhere else stops in Europe. 

I know its long been talked about, i guess it depends what the reason for it would be. If its a 'break' then fine, if its to avoid the worst of the weather our winter might bring then its when you have that break? Our winters are all over the place, I am sure there is something that says we actually have more of a chance of a white easter than christmas in the uk.

I suppose we do get very wet winters and that probably sees more games called off than ice or snow. No team needs a back log, happened to Burton a few years back and they ended up near the bottom but with some stupid number of games in hand, but because of the number they had to catch up they struggled for the rest of the season.

 

[Mafiabob]

1 hour ago, Paul71 said:

I know its long been talked about, i guess it depends what the reason for it would be. If its a 'break' then fine, if its to avoid the worst of the weather our winter might bring then its when you have that break? Our winters are all over the place, I am sure there is something that says we actually have more of a chance of a white easter than christmas in the uk.

I suppose we do get very wet winters and that probably sees more games called off than ice or snow. No team needs a back log, happened to Burton a few years back and they ended up near the bottom but with some stupid number of games in hand, but because of the number they had to catch up they struggled for the rest of the season.

 

Another thing i would do is midweek fixtures shouldn't have more than a 100 mile radius/trip got the away side. See some of the ridiculous distances this week teams and fans have to travel? 

[Sith Happens]

6 minutes ago, Mafiabob said:

Another thing i would do is midweek fixtures shouldn't have more than a 100 mile radius/trip got the away side. See some of the ridiculous distances this week teams and fans have to travel? 

Yep, Carlisle vs yeovil on a Tuesday night.

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

 

[ilkleyram]

Well whoopie. Doesn't say they won't kick off at 345pm though.

To comment on one of David's original points - there are elements of modern football that I do like. Some parts of the game are better than they used to be. But the way in which TV (Sky) dominate the games and their kick off times is not one of them. The travelling fan and those that actually attend come a distant second to the TV viewer. And I don't think that's right.

And wait until the UK TV viewer comes a distant second to the Asian TV viewer and see what that does to KO times, cos it is coming. 

We've already heard that the EFL manipulate the fixture lists - and have done for some time. When will Sky start insisting on doing the same in return for their £11m per game, and what possible consequences will that have for the sport?

The game is out of kilter. Too much in hock to the TV men; a largely uncompetitive top league when you can mostly name the top 6 at the start of the season (and signs that the second division is going the same way); too few local heroes with skin in their local club; too much concentration of money in too few clubs.

That's what I don't like about the modern game and the change has largely been driven by Sky money.

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]

4 minutes ago, ilkleyram said:

Well whoopie. Doesn't say they won't kick off at 345pm though.

To comment on one of David's original points - there are elements of modern football that I do like. Some parts of the game are better than they used to be. But the way in which TV (Sky) dominate the games and their kick off times is not one of them. The travelling fan and those that actually attend come a distant second to the TV viewer. And I don't think that's right.

And wait until the UK TV viewer comes a distant second to the Asian TV viewer and see what that does to KO times, cos it is coming. 

We've already heard that the EFL manipulate the fixture lists - and have done for some time. When will Sky start insisting on doing the same in return for their £11m per game, and what possible consequences will that have for the sport?

The game is out of kilter. Too much in hock to the TV men; a largely uncompetitive top league when you can mostly name the top 6 at the start of the season (and signs that the second division is going the same way); too few local heroes with skin in their local club; too much concentration of money in too few clubs.

That's what I don't like about the modern game and the change has largely been driven by Sky money.

I doubt they'd announce it if they were going to have kick offs only 15 minutes earlier.

[ilkleyram]

56 minutes ago, ViewsFromTheMiddle said:

I doubt they'd announce it if they were going to have kick offs only 15 minutes earlier.

You're probably right, but it might only be a 230pm kick off. The point is that they haven't announced that there won't be any football on Xmas Eve and that's because the TV viewer is now more important than the person that actually goes to a match, and has been for some time, just that now it's becoming more obvious.

You can work out when Xmas Eve falls on a Sunday years in advance.  It doesn't happen that often. The PL could have covered the point with Sky when they agreed the latest contract. That they didn't or didn't even think about it, is another example of how football is changing in favour of the TV companies who pay the big bucks and why I think football is out of kilter.

[stoners]

On ‎28‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 11:08, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

I love the boxing day match if it is at Pride Park, a great way to get out of the house after being stuck in with relatives the day before. Nice to get out and blow off some steam with a few pints in the Brunswick and a Derby match.

if being with your relatives for 1 day over a xmas period is such an issue then maybe your the problem and not the relatives

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

10 minutes ago, stoners said:

if being with your relatives for 1 day over a xmas period is such an issue then maybe your the problem and not the relatives

I absolutely am.

[ViewsFromTheMiddle]