The Goons had the Poool first game last season. On a similar vein, how often have the fixtures come out so that some of the top 4 on the final game of the season, have to play each other ??
Sky are really missing a trick here, "top 4" teams playing each other on the first and last day of the season would be a massive draw. Guess the fixtures aren't rigged as well as we think eh
Last day of the season's a risk and they had Arsenal v Liverpool on the opening day last season. They're guaranteed viewers during the middle of the campaign, but that's not true at the end. If Chelsea had played Man Utd on the last day, then it would've been a nothing game and they'd have lost neutrals or not even shown it.
True. It actually makes much more sense to have the Chelsea - Sunderland, Spurs - Hull type fixtures we saw last season. Even though both turned out to be meaningless (Chelsea's game being made an absolute pantomime by Captain, Leader, Bellend), chances are you'll have one team scrapping for survival and the other fighting for Europe or more.
Instead they tend to play one another on Bank Holiday weekends, where there's likely to be more people watching at home. Sort of like how Grand Slam Sunday always seemed to occur either the weekend before Christmas or on Easter weekend, again when more people are guaranteed to be at home. Anyone with half a brain will know that, if you want to rig the fixture list for your benefit, you do it for a time when the most people will be watching - not for the middle of the summer holidays.
Depends on statistically how often such fixtures should be generated, regardless of whatever constraints the fixture computer subsequently applies.
The first round of changes has been announced and people are understandably unhappy. An early Sunday for Newcastle away? Wasn't it a **** enough fixture already? Our first home game is also on a Sunday and Saturday 3pm kick-offs appear to have been banished entirely. The Burnley fixture is still to be rearranged, too. Rubbish.
Here's what happened the moment where Sky and BT got their copies of the fixture list... please log in to view this image
I don't get why they bother releasing the list without consulting the TV companies and clubs first. They move everything around anyway, so what's the point? At least people would know where they stand and we wouldn't have messes like the Burnley game.
Wasn't sure where to put this, so it's here. Our Checkatrade Trophy draw has been announced today. For those that haven't been following it, it's the former FA Vase/Johnson's Paint Trophy. Premier League U21 sides face off against what's supposed to be the first teams of lower league clubs. We will face AFC Wimbledon, Barnet and Luton. No idea when our games will be played or where we'll play any home games, if there are any.