BBC Sport neutrals debate Boxing Day fiasco and 8pm Manchester United v Newcastle United only game | OneFootball

The BBC Sport neutrals have been debating the fact that there will be only one Premier League match that will be played on Boxing Day AND that this one Friday game will be Manchester United v Newcastle United to be played at 8pm.

A Premier League statement on Friday justifying this as follows…

“The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football.

“There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.

“This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.

“With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls.”

The Football Supporters’ Association responding to the Premier explanation/justification…

“The Premier League’s TV selections for [Christmas and New Year] have finally been announced a fortnight after they were supposed to be. Newcastle’s game at Old Trafford – the longest trip of that gameweek – has been selected for a ridiculous 8pm kick-off on Boxing Day. Thoughtless.”

This is when the Boxing Day round of Premier League matches will be played:

Boxing Day (Friday 26 December) – Manchester United v Newcastle United (20:00 GMT)

Saturday 27 December – Nottingham Forest v Manchester City (12:30),Arsenal v Brighton (15:00), Brentford v Bournemouth (15:00), Burnley v Everton (15:00), Liverpool v Wolves (15:00), West Ham United v Fulham (15:00), Chelsea v Aston Villa (17:30)

Sunday 28 December – Sunderland v Leeds United (14:00), Crystal Palace v Tottenham (16:30)

BBC Sport neutrals discussing only one Premier League match on Boxing Day AND that one match being an 8pm kick-off with Newcastle United fans having to travel to Man U:

‘If gonna have 1 match on over the Xmas make it a derby. Less travelling for all.’

‘I see the Prem League tradition of making Newcastle fans travel to away games on Boxing Day remains intact though.’

‘Funny that!! They were at home to Villa last boxing day

‘No one is MAKING them do anything. They can stay home and listen to the radio or watch on TV if they can afford it. They can also go down the pub since it’s an 8pm kick off. Plenty of choice ‘

‘And it couldn’t have been two London or Manchester clubs and it had to be at 2000, not 1300 or 1430 or even 1630, and it had to send Geordies off into the dark at 2230/2300 to travel 3-4 hours back to Newcastle. “Safety first” eh? They really couldn’t give a toss could they?’

‘I think in England you have it rather lucky, in all of Europe it’s normal to go to games at night, they don’t complain about games at night. I remember one Italian football podcast saying something how Eddie Howe thanked Newcastle fans travelling to watch the night game, and they thought it was rather bizarre because outside of the UK, games will be played later than 8pm.’

‘Your complaint is people traveling in the dark……oh dear Lord.’

‘See you’ve never traveled from Manchester to Newcastle. I used to do that trip every other week in the 90s. It’s three hours at the best of times. Meaning they’ll be back, shattered, with no public transport, at 0200 or later in the morning. It’s bloody unnecessary.’

‘Its the 300 mile round trip for Newcastle fans, when they could have stuck a London Derby on between teams 10 miles apart’

‘So there’s only one game on boxing day because of expanded European competition, yet it involves Newcastle who are in said competition?

Meanwhile, a quick glance says 4 of the matches not on Boxing Day have neither team in any European competition.’

‘Whist I’m a Stockport fan and will be attending our EFL game it’s scandalous for it to be 8pm kick off. No thought for travel arrangements – purely for tv audience. Ever heard that before ?’

‘How do “challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling” prevent them from moving games by ONE DAY, which is already done regularly for televised games? The people are muppets!’

‘While we’re at it let’s go back to playing back to back games. One on Christmas day, one on Boxing day that way both sets of fans get to see their team at home over the Christmas break.’

‘It’s interesting how we can watch every game Live in US and you can’t have it in UK. It’s weird to say the least’

‘How am I supposed to get drunk and go into another room to watch football on my own while everyone else prepares the food and washes up now?’

‘I read that they have to play a set number of Saturdays for the tv rights deal.

Most times Boxing Day would either be Saturday or midweek so doesn’t make much difference.

Because it is a Friday they couldn’t then play Saturday.’

‘toon fans draw the short straw again !!’

‘toon fans rescued by sportswashing inc. which means complaining about straws etc doesn’t wash…’

‘You should see how it is in Europe where kick off is later than 8pm, and the fans in Europe don’t complain about this sort of thing. You’re “fortunate” in England to have the majority of the games on during the day. Fortunate being in quotation marks because it’s never been a problem with me travelling to watch Italian matches that start from 20:45 local time’

‘They haven’t played a Serie A game in Italy on Boxing Day for 6 years. I don’t think it’s possible to come up with a bigger swing and a miss on a football-on-Boxing Day thread.’

‘No European games at this time of year.

Try money, money, money driven by TV schedules. TRUE Fans are the forgotten ones in amongst this desire for TV cash and tourist supporters.

On top of all this the one game is at 8pm. Good luck Magpie fans getting back home from Manchester on public transport.’

‘Sad and the one and only game is at eight o’clock…. Good luck to the Newcastle fans traveling for that one’

‘This has nothing to do with UEFA and everything to do with the TV rights contract the premier league have signed which states how many games have to be played on Saturdays for their global markets. Premier league profiteering at its finest!’

‘Does it really matter if the match is on Boxing Day or the next day, which is a Saturday? It means supporters get an extra day with family…. oh, I see the problem!’

IMAGO/Action Plus

My final thoughts

It is outrageous BUT totally predictable, that the one match they have chosen of the ten possible Premier League matches to be played at 8pm on Boxing Day night, is the furthest possible distance for away supporters!

United fans with a 300 mile round trip from Tyneside and public travel options so limited/non-existent.

Look at the matches they haven’t even put on TV in this round of games, with Arsenal v Brighton 3pm on the Saturday, Brentford v Bournemouth the same, They even have a London derby (West Ham v Fulham) staying at 3pm Saturday and not picked for live TV!!

You also then factor in that Old Trafford is easily the biggest Premier League stadium, so Sky Sports and the Premier League have chosen the game to be played 8pm (why not 3pm, 5.30pm etc etc?) on Boxing Day night that will make it so difficult to travel for the very most possible number of people.

As for the Premier League pretending this decision on only one Boxing Day is nothing to do with them, not their fault etc etc.

Excuse me, who exactly agreed and signed these broadcast deals, including so many matches having to be played on Saturday and Sunday etc? It is the Premier League who willingly signed and agreed all this, they are absolutely as much to blame as the broadcasters.