The festive football fixtures are always received with a level of controversy. Year on year, the TV deals and footballing organisations seem to cast those in attendance aside.
We take a look at the latest fixture announcements and what they may mean for the fans.
We take a look at the latest fixture announcements and what they may mean for the fans.
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 As the Premier League announced its decision to stage Wolves' game against Chelsea on Christmas
00:07 Eve, it's made all the sporting headlines, naming the organisations to not be considering
00:12 the fans.
00:13 Wolves' supporter trust has come together with Chelsea's to argue the fixture be changed
00:18 to another date.
00:19 If it would be to go ahead, it would be the first top flight game on Christmas Eve since
00:24 1995, and the first time Wolves have played on the date for almost 60 years.
00:30 So how has it been received across the footballing world?
00:33 It just doesn't make any logical sense to me.
00:35 You've got to think about the fans, the travelling to the games.
00:38 Obviously people can say, "Oh, I'm not going to go, I'm seeing my family."
00:41 But when a game's on, you're more likely to go, aren't you?
00:44 I think that's probably more down to the people problem rather than the broadcasters.
00:48 But it just shouldn't be an option.
00:50 Probably going to have to cover it.
00:51 Obviously a massive privilege to cover Wolves, but on Christmas Eve, it's just not what you
00:55 want to be doing.
00:56 Boxing Day is the day for football and New Year's Day and Eve, you can understand that.
01:02 But I think Christmas Eve is ludicrous and it should be changed.
01:06 It won't.
01:07 It will stick like that now.
01:08 But, dearie me, it had to be Wolves as well, didn't it?
01:14 It's not only the date specifically that we are seeing fixtures changed to.
01:19 We have also seen 12 different kick-off times being introduced to the calendar since the
01:23 Covid season to allow more of a worldwide reach for football on television.
01:28 This has also been brought up by a number of football fan trusts, arguing it's favouring
01:32 the paying subscribers at home and not the fans who attend the games.
01:37 All the Premier League care about is ultimately TV audiences which drive revenue and ultimately
01:45 is what leads to the product that we see week in, week out at the stadiums across the country.
01:52 But it's not their concern, football fans and their travel issues.
01:55 It doesn't even look like they're trying to hide it anymore, the Premier League.
01:57 It's so blatant and obvious that they just don't care.
02:03 The throw bone every so often towards fans trying to keep everyone happy, but it's simply
02:10 not good enough for the Premier League and it's just not their concern, as I say.
02:14 People want to see their teams, they've paid their money for their season tickets, why
02:18 are they going to then be robbed of it?
02:19 I don't think it's going to make a difference if people boycott the games.
02:22 It's not about those going anyway, they obviously don't care about those, otherwise they wouldn't
02:25 make the decision in the first place.
02:27 It's all about the TV revenue.
02:29 People aren't going to give up their subscriptions because of one game.
02:31 I mean, fair play to people if they do, but if you can't get to an away match, you want
02:34 to be able to see your team on TV.
02:36 It's a really tricky position to be in and the power, unfortunately, is in the hands
02:41 of the broadcasters.
02:44 Fans of not only Wolves and Chelsea, but fans of football across the world are hoping for
02:49 the Christmas Eve game to be rescheduled and not considered again.
02:54 The final decision by the Premier League, along with their TV deals, could impact the
02:58 sport as we know it today and set an unwanted president for the future.
03:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]