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Recent changes to the Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Fulham next month have angered fans.
In January, United are set to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage, however, the game has been delayed.
Whilst a noon kick-off was previously scheduled on 26th January 2025, the game has now been put back by seven hours until 7 pm.
The reason for the change lies with United’s Europa League match with Rangers on 23rd January 2025, only three days before.
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Manchester United objects to limited recovery time between matches
The Red Devils objected to travelling to London 62 hours after hosting Rangers, with Premier League clubs believing that 72 hours are needed to recover between games. However, broadcasting slots have affected when the game could be put back.
The game is due to be televised by TNT Sport, and with Sky Sports taking up the 2 pm and 4:30 pm spots that day, the only other available time was 7 pm.
This game isn’t the first to be converted to a Sunday evening however, with Chelsea vs Brentford and Southampton vs Tottenham both taking place at 7 pm this coming Sunday.
Once more the reason for the late kick-offs are that Chelsea and Spurs are both playing away in Europe on Thursday. Whilst Chelsea take on FC Astana in Kazakhstan, Spurs stay closer to home as they head to Scotland to face Rangers.
However, the Premier League are adamant that these are not going to be regular occurrences, with the slot being more of a contingency plan.
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The FSA’s position on the Sunday evening kick-offs
The Times has reported that the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) have accused the Premier League of prioritising broadcasters over fans.
The FSA have expressed their concern however at the scheduling of the three games, with the Sunday evening slot being “really unpopular” for fans due to transport limitations and its unsuitability for families attending the games.
An FSA spokesman said: “The Sunday evening kick-off slot is really unpopular with match-goers as public transport options are limited and it’s no good for families with young kids.
“When the general slot was announced the Premier League told us it was a ‘contingency’ — but it seems to be getting used an awful lot for such a provision.
“A big part of the problem is allowing broadcasters to choose ‘conditional’ picks which are then moved when a team progresses in Europe.
“The Premier League puts broadcasters first by allowing them to select such games knowing full well conditional picks are very likely to be rescheduled again.”
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