Arsenal have confirmed that Burnley’s visit to the Emirates, the club’s final home game of the campaign, has been moved to Monday, 18 May with an 8pm kick-off.
Originally scheduled for the Sunday, the fixture was selected for live broadcast in the UK by Sky Sports, who were apparently unwilling to shift despite some reported resistance from the club.
That the change has been confirmed now, with less than three weeks to go, is what really rankles. Supporters have become used to television companies dictating the calendar, but the lack of notice remains one of the most frustrating parts of the modern matchgoing experience.
For Burnley fans trying to get home and Arsenal supporters travelling from abroad for what many had earmarked as a celebratory final home game of the season, the timing is especially poor.
Anecdotally, we already know of several fans whose plans have been thrown into chaos, whether that means rearranging flights, extending accommodation or missing out altogether.
And it is not only overseas visitors affected. Plenty of domestic supporters build weekends around fixtures, particularly the final home match of a season when emotions tend to run high, lap-of-appreciation expectations linger, and pubs around the stadium fill from early afternoon. A Monday night kick-off strips much of that away.
So much for fans being the lifeblood of the game. It’s a real ‘f*ck you’ from Sky.
It’ll be interesting to hear what Mikel Arteta makes of the situation when he faces the media in Madrid ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash with Atleti.
Fans left in the lurch as Burnley game looks set for Monday night slot