By IANS
London : A new record will be set next month with only one of the 10 English Premier League football games starting at the traditional Saturday 3 p.m. (1400 GMT) kick-off Oct 6 with fans already complaining about “a dark weekend” for match-going supporters.
Eight matches are scheduled Sunday, Oct 7, and another at 12:45 p.m. the day before. Due to the demands of television and involvement with the UEFA Cup, only Aston Villa host West Ham 3 p.m. Saturday.
Football Supporters’ Federation chairman Malcolm Clarke complained to the media: “Fans still very much like the traditional 3 p.m. Saturday kick-off and the decline in that element of the game is a matter of great concern.
“For just one game to kick off at that time is quite extraordinary and it will be a dark weekend for fans.
“It’s symbolic of the way things are going but the views of the match-going fan seem to be bottom of the list of priorities. We will certainly bring this up at our next meeting with the Premier League.”
Manchester United at home against Wigan Athletic is the other game taking place Saturday, Oct 6, but the game kicks off at 12.45 p.m. as it is being televised.
Three other matches are being televised Sunday, four more games have been switched because teams involved are playing in the UEFA Cup the previous Thursday and Manchester City’s home game with Middlesbrough has been moved for security reasons.
The City game was originally due to be played in the last week of the season but as the ground is also the venue for the UEFA Cup final, Europe’s football governing body asked the club to switch the match to Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium.
As United is at home Saturday, Oct 6, City has to play Sunday.
A Premier League spokesman said: “It is a combination of factors – teams featuring in Europe, television games and policing issues.
“We always try to give fans as much notice as possible as our research shows that if we do that, then they can make the appropriate travel arrangements.”
Teams involved in the UEFA Cup do not have to play Sunday but under Premier League rules they have a right do so if it does not impact the opposing team.