2023/24 Fixtures

[Villa Lew]

This link shows that for the last 14 seasons the Sky 6 have never played each other on the last day of season, if this is not damning evidence that they have an arrangement with the Premier League, I don't know what is.

https://www.worldfootball.net/all_matches/eng-premier-league-2009-2010/

[Percy McCarthy]

This link shows that for the last 14 seasons the Sky 6 have never played each other on the last day of season, if this is not damning evidence that they have an arrangement with the Premier League, I don't know what is.

https://www.worldfootball.net/all_matches/eng-premier-league-2009-2010/

Was the Sky 6 a thing then? I seem to remember it was the big 4 and lots of people saying it would never change.

[amfy]

There’s a good chance that we will get a newly promoted club again because that’s what the machine has been throwing out for the last few years.
They have to programme in things like seaside towns not being at home on a Bank Holiday. Derbies not happening on certain dates. Teams with rivalries not been scheduled at home on the same weekend. Their ‘Big’ matches being scheduled in a way they like for their viewing figures. 
All this switches depending on who’s gone up and down but it seems not to move to much. The promoted/relegated scenario might change it this year, but the chances aren’t high.

[Risso]

What would be the point? Sky make a big thing about them playing each other, they make a big thing about the last day. Put them both together and it's like having your birthday at Christmas.

Well despite the link to the odious newspaper, the fact that this happens was mentioned in there, and also the cold, hard facts back it up. Apart from the one or two games in two years, they never, ever meet. The odds against that are absolutely enormous.

[danno]

Apologies for a link to a newspaper almost as odious.  The original story in the times is behind a paywall.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5702761/Premier-League-deliberately-arrange-fixtures-six-clubs-not-meet-weekend.

[Steve67]

I guess Sky like to sex up those sorry wet Sunday afternoons in November, February and April but putting two 'big' clubs up against one another. 

[Taylor]

I’m sure this is true, but doesn’t explain why we always seem to play a newly promoted team away from home every feckin season, and when we were a newly promoted team, we ended up playing one of the “top six”, away.

[algy]

One thing that is not a myth, but a certainty is none of the 'Sky 6' will play each on the last day of the season. The last time it happened was May 2009, when Liverpool played Spurs, why nothing is said about it is beyond me.

Extremely rarely on the first day as well now you mention it. Bit of a disgrace really, absolutely fixing it.

I don't buy into it tbh, a cursory check shows Spurs were at home to Citeh on the opening day of 2021/22.

Seems more likely that they try to keep a reasonably 'interesting' stream of fixtures throughout the season. The last day of the season is always going to be interesting, usually because of teams around the bottom, so why waste e.g
 a local derby on that week when you could put it on in mid January and make more of a thing about.

Don't think it's an intentional cartel type thing, just a natural result of trying to maximise TV revenue & interest.

[Risso]

I’m sure this is true, but doesn’t explain why we always seem to play a newly promoted team away from home every feckin season, and when we were a newly promoted team, we ended up playing one of the “top six”, away.

Well it's all a part of the above. There are loads of things they take into account, like neighbouring teams playing, and fixtures during the rest of the year like Boxing Day. I guess some fixtures just sort of happen by default as a result.

[SoccerHQ]

What would be the point? Sky make a big thing about them playing each other, they make a big thing about the last day. Put them both together and it's like having your birthday at Christmas.

Well despite the link to the odious newspaper, the fact that this happens was mentioned in there, and also the cold, hard facts back it up. Apart from the one or two games in two years, they never, ever meet. The odds against that are absolutely enormous.

Don't the Police put in a request nowadays they don't want high risk fixtures near the end especially in London.

Arsenal-Chelsea had to be moved back a couple of days because all police leave was taken up with the Coronation and that was three weeks before the end of the season.

Can safely assume WMP would request we never play Wolves on first or last day of the season either as it's just too risky.

[edgysatsuma89]

What would be the point? Sky make a big thing about them playing each other, they make a big thing about the last day. Put them both together and it's like having your birthday at Christmas.

Well despite the link to the odious newspaper, the fact that this happens was mentioned in there, and also the cold, hard facts back it up. Apart from the one or two games in two years, they never, ever meet. The odds against that are absolutely enormous.

Don't the Police put in a request nowadays they don't want high risk fixtures near the end especially in London.

Arsenal-Chelsea had to be moved back a couple of days because all police leave was taken up with the Coronation and that was three weeks before the end of the season.

Can safely assume WMP would request we never play Wolves on first or last day of the season either as it's just too risky.

Us and Wolves really that risky on the fan's side? Been a while since I was a ST though,  they weren't in the prem when I was so I've not had the experience of coming across them en masse. I never really think about them.

[dave.woodhall]

What would be the point? Sky make a big thing about them playing each other, they make a big thing about the last day. Put them both together and it's like having your birthday at Christmas.

Well despite the link to the odious newspaper, the fact that this happens was mentioned in there, and also the cold, hard facts back it up. Apart from the one or two games in two years, they never, ever meet. The odds against that are absolutely enormous.

Don't the Police put in a request nowadays they don't want high risk fixtures near the end especially in London.

Arsenal-Chelsea had to be moved back a couple of days because all police leave was taken up with the Coronation and that was three weeks before the end of the season.

Can safely assume WMP would request we never play Wolves on first or last day of the season either as it's just too risky.

You'd be wrong on that one - there's never a problem with our games against Wolves. Unless the procedure has changed the police have no say in the compilation of individual fixtures; they just 'advise' on kick-off times when they come out.

[Dogtanian]

What would be the point? Sky make a big thing about them playing each other, they make a big thing about the last day. Put them both together and it's like having your birthday at Christmas.

Well despite the link to the odious newspaper, the fact that this happens was mentioned in there, and also the cold, hard facts back it up. Apart from the one or two games in two years, they never, ever meet. The odds against that are absolutely enormous.

Don't the Police put in a request nowadays they don't want high risk fixtures near the end especially in London.

Arsenal-Chelsea had to be moved back a couple of days because all police leave was taken up with the Coronation and that was three weeks before the end of the season.

Can safely assume WMP would request we never play Wolves on first or last day of the season either as it's just too risky.

You'd be wrong on that one - there's never a problem with our games against Wolves. Unless the procedure has changed the police have no say in the compilation of individual fixtures; they just 'advise' on kick-off times when they come out.

According to Glenn Thompson, the man in charge of the process, they consult the police throughout;

“We engage with police forces up and down the country. Every one. A good example would be the Sheffield clubs. South Yorkshire Police wouldn’t want the two Sheffield clubs to have a home fixture on the same day. Same for Port Vale and Stoke and any number of two-club cities.

“The West Midlands is another example. Police wouldn’t be happy if there were five home games one Saturday and then one the next. We try and ensure a fair spread.”

[amfy]

My understanding is that the rivalries criteria isn’t dependent on what division you’re in.
So we’ll usually be at home at the same time as Wolves. so that both Wolves and us can be at home while Albion are away.
Similarly, despite being most local rivals within the Championship, Blues and Albion will be at home at the same time so that they are both away when we (& Wolves in the case of Albion) are at home.

[dave.woodhall]

What would be the point? Sky make a big thing about them playing each other, they make a big thing about the last day. Put them both together and it's like having your birthday at Christmas.

Well despite the link to the odious newspaper, the fact that this happens was mentioned in there, and also the cold, hard facts back it up. Apart from the one or two games in two years, they never, ever meet. The odds against that are absolutely enormous.

Don't the Police put in a request nowadays they don't want high risk fixtures near the end especially in London.

Arsenal-Chelsea had to be moved back a couple of days because all police leave was taken up with the Coronation and that was three weeks before the end of the season.

Can safely assume WMP would request we never play Wolves on first or last day of the season either as it's just too risky.

You'd be wrong on that one - there's never a problem with our games against Wolves. Unless the procedure has changed the police have no say in the compilation of individual fixtures; they just 'advise' on kick-off times when they come out.

According to Glenn Thompson, the man in charge of the process, they consult the police throughout;

“We engage with police forces up and down the country. Every one. A good example would be the Sheffield clubs. South Yorkshire Police wouldn’t want the two Sheffield clubs to have a home fixture on the same day. Same for Port Vale and Stoke and any number of two-club cities.

“The West Midlands is another example. Police wouldn’t be happy if there were five home games one Saturday and then one the next. We try and ensure a fair spread.”

They consult them but the police can't demand certain dates for certain fixtures. A lot of it is just common sense but sometimes events change the criteria. For example, some clubs will ask for away games first because of ground redevelopments or Coventry after the Commonwealth Games.