Manchester United fans pictured arriving at Old Trafford
Manchester United fans pictured arriving at Old Trafford
Manchester United's 7pm kick-off time away at Fulham on Sunday, January 26 has been created following a series of unfortunate events.
United supporters were left mystified this week when the Premier League announced the latest round of TV picks for the beginning of 2025. Fans have become accustomed to matches moving for broadcasters however few would have expected the Reds to play on a Sunday evening.
The match at Fulham's Craven Cottage was chosen by TNT Sports who usually broadcast fixtures on Saturday lunchtime. But, United host Rangers in the Europa League the previous Thursday ruling out the broadcaster's usual time slot.
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Instead, according to The Times, discussions were had about moving the fixture to midday on Sunday but this was rejected by United who claimed this was too soon after their last game. Premier League clubs argue that 72 hours is needed to allow players to rest appropriately.
With 2pm and 4:30pm off the table thanks to Sky Sports' Super Sunday, the only remaining slot was the 'contingency' 7pm slot which has been signed off. This has led to anger from the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) after it was confirmed no trains will be leaving London for Manchester post-match.
In a statement to The Times, FSA explained: "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."
The 7pm slot will be used twice this Sunday with Tottenham's away clash at Southampton being shown live on TNT Sports while Chelsea's home game with Brentford has also been rearranged for that position in the schedule.