FootballTalk Podcast 29.10.25
Four Leeds United games have been moved for television in the block of games including the festive period.
The trip to the Stadium of Light is Leeds' game for the Boxing Day weekend, but will actually be played on December 28.
The Premier League has blamed UEFA for the fact only one of its matches – Manchester United v Newcastle – will be played on traditionally one of the biggest days of the year for football, claiming the vast expansion of European club competitions left it unable to hold a full round of games that day.
Sunderland v Leeds will kick off at 2pm. The Old Trafford Boxing Day fixture kicks off not at a fan-friendly time, but 8pm.
Leeds do have a New Year's Day game, however, their match at Anfield kicking off at 5,30pm. That game will also be shown on Sky Sports.
With that being a Thursday, the Elland Road game against Manchester United is on a Sunday, kicking off at 12.30pm on January 4. TNT Sports will show that game.
And travelling fans have the joy of an 8.15pm kick-off on a night in the working week when they face Newcastle at 8.15pm on Wednesday, January 7. The later time is to allow the game to be shown on Sky Sports.
OVERDUE CHANGES: The Premier League has missed its own deadline (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)placeholder image
OVERDUE CHANGES: The Premier League has missed its own deadline (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
This year Boxing Day is on a Friday.
"The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football," it said in a statement.
"There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup.
"This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995.
PAYMASTERS: Three of the four Leeds United games moved will be live on Sky Sports, the other on TNT Sports (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)placeholder image
PAYMASTERS: Three of the four Leeds United games moved will be live on Sky Sports, the other on TNT Sports (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
"With fewer weekends to work with, the league is bound by how the calendar falls."
It added: "The league can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday."
The Premier League had told supporters it would inform them of any television-inspired changes by October 15, but they regularly miss their self-imposed deadlines for this.
The Football League has been much more flexible, with Hull City, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Bradford City, Doncaster Rovers, Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United and Harrogate Town al playing on Boxing Day.
Those clubs were told their Boxing Day schedules before the season started.
All but Sheffield United, who are at Wrexham at 5.30pm, kick off at 3pm.