Sunday fixtures

[guiltyparty]

You make it sound like our club is a weak bunch of fools who have no control over Sky. Of course we have control, we just have somehow let them pick us on sundays for whatever reason and the club just doesn't care. If they wanted to, they could say no, we want to play on Saturdays. I'd love to know how playing on a Sunday TV slot instead of a Saturday TV slot could increase our revenue.

Are you new to this football lark? We don't have control at all. TV dollars make the world go round nowadays

Also your suggested changes only benefit the fans, not the club or team, so why would the club say no? Fans have been the least important part of football for years too.

 

[riggi]

Sunday football is gash

 

[Nocando]

You Saturday lovers are selfish. Some people play football on the saturday and prefer our games on the Sunday

 

[Monkey Bastard Hands]

You make it sound like our club is a weak bunch of fools who have no control over Sky. Of course we have control, we just have somehow let them pick us on sundays for whatever reason and the club just doesn't care. If they wanted to, they could say no, we want to play on Saturdays. I'd love to know how playing on a Sunday TV slot instead of a Saturday TV slot could increase our revenue.

I think you're underestimating how powerful Sky are! The Premier League gets £1billion (£1,000,000,000) from Sky and BT every year under the current deal and TV revenue is the highest source of income for some clubs. When there's that much money involved, I think Sky could organise a game on a Tuesday lunchtime and the clubs would still do it.

I reckon that a Sunday afternoon game would give us a higher slice of TV money anyway; on a Saturday people tend to be doing things (out with families, getting pissed or whatever) so the lunchtime and teatime games probably have lower viewing figures than a Sunday afternoon, when people are more likely to be at home. I don't have any figures to back this up so it's just my own personal thoughts, but I hardly ever watch the live Saturday games as i'm too busy. A sunday afternoon, however, is the perfect time to sit infront of the TV for a few hours and watch a couple of games. I don't think the attendances at WHL are any lower on a Sunday either so that won't hurt our revenue.

 

[faymantaray]

I like the games on Sunday because it usually means they will be easy to stream.. one downside though is when we lose.. mixing that feeling with the Sunday blues is not good!

 

[Geyzer Soze]

I prefer it on a Sunday. When we lose it doesn't fuck up my whole weekend

 

[NP4_Yid]

You Saturday lovers are selfish. Some people play football on the saturday and prefer our games on the Sunday

Or coach teams (not very well).....hence why I'm happily going tomorrow

 

[minesadouble]

1. Sky's £1bn p.a. Contract with the PL gives them basic control over scheduling. It means they (and BT) look at fixtures for the weekend and can plan what match is shown Saturday lunchtime, Saturday 17.30, Sunday lunchtime, Sunday 16.00 and Monday night football.
2. However, they have to work within things like the UEFA regulations (so Europa teams usually play Sunday after Thursday matches, etc.), also Police and Transport considerations, and the rules of the Contract (so many games per club, etc.).
3. They obviously consult with the Clubs about timing and take their wishes into account as well, but the Clubs (and fans) are really not the decision makers. So long as we all play between Saturday and Monday whenever possible, so each club has played the same number of games come the end of each MNF, that's their main consideration apart from TV audiences.
4. Our misfortune this Season (if you prefer Saturday games), is that our weekend matches following Europa Thursdays, haven't looked exciting enough to be picked by Sky for TV, so we've played Sundays yet not been chosen for broadcast on TV (eg. v West Ham, and v Hull tomorrow). But other weekends we've been picked for Sunday coverage after Thursdays when we haven't played Europa. Probably just coincidence but after quite a few years of Europa, we probably do get to play fewer Saturdays than anybody else.

 

[chrissivad]

You make it sound like our club is a weak bunch of fools who have no control over Sky. Of course we have control, we just have somehow let them pick us on sundays for whatever reason and the club just doesn't care. If they wanted to, they could say no, we want to play on Saturdays. I'd love to know how playing on a Sunday TV slot instead of a Saturday TV slot could increase our revenue.

The FA pick the dates for the games and then Sky and BT who pay a lot of money for the rights to show games move a few around so they can show the games that they want to show.

We have no say or control, what would happen if we turned around and said we are not playing is we will lose the game 3-0 for not turning up and get fined

 

[SpursManChris]

We don't have any control over fixtures and time slots no club does, not sure where you got that idea from...

Why do you always think managers complain about fixtures every week?

If for the entire season we were playing a disproportional number of sunday games (when we could play Saturday) to others teams then of course we could demand equality. We just chose to comply, if this is in fact the case.

 

[Blake Griffin]

sunday home games are the worst, you get a "come on you spurs" at kick off for about 30 seconds and then a mixture of silence and grumbling follows, don't these fans know that they're having a negative effect on the team's performance?

 

[Shadydan]

If for the entire season we were playing a disproportional number of sunday games (when we could play Saturday) to others teams then of course we could demand equality. We just chose to comply, if this is in fact the case.

And how would a club go about demanding equality in this case?

 

[SpursManChris]

And how would a club go about demanding equality in this case?

No idea. But if we didn't like it, then we could argue for equality. The only reason it has been happening is because we are complying. My real question now is, what do the broadcasters gain from showing us on a sunday rather than a saturday? And what do we gain if anything?

 

[jonnyp]

Sunday football is the worst.

Why? I've never understood this

 

[SpursManChris]

I just checked last season's fixture list. While not perfect, at this stage of the year last season, we had played much more Saturday matches. It is much worse this season. I just want to know, why us? Why not United or Chelsea? They'd be at least equal if not higher than us in terms of TV popularity. And even if it was one of them singled out, why them? It should be equal, at least among the top 6.

 

[Gbspurs]

I just checked last season's fixture list. While not perfect, at this stage of the year last season, we had played much more Saturday matches. It is much worse this season. I just want to know, why us? Why not United or Chelsea? They'd be at least equal if not higher than us in terms of TV popularity. And even if it was one of them singled out, why them? It should be equal, at least among the top 6.

I'm really struggling to see your issue. Happy to take the tv money but not happy to be flexible for fixtures? It is what it is. The only way to change it would be to pull out of any tv deal costing us £60m a year or to not qualify for europe. You can't really compare our fixtures to CL teams as they won't be forced to Sunday as often due to playing CL on a wed.

I bet if you went through Man Utd's fixture list and everytime they play CL football move their next match to a Sunday, they would have as many as we do.

 

[No Donkey]

I work on Saturday's, so the Sunday games fit me just fine. Going against Hull this weekend, and then the really stupid midday kick off against Newcastle too. Just hope the trains from Shenfield are working properly. That's the only downer for me about Sundays, bloody rail work.

 

[mil1lion]

I dont really care when we play to be honest. I'll always be up for it come kick off.

It can actually benefit the players to play Sunday though because they can see what other results are before kick off. If Arsenal drop points today you know it will give us a lift tomorrow.

 

[PeeEyeEmPee]

Sunday games are fine for me. I live 10 mins away from the ground, so we could play at 3am on a Tuesday morning and I'd still be able to make it if I wished

 

[BringBack_leGin]

I would far prefer play on a Sunday afternoon than have a late Saturday night kick off. I, like most people, have a social life largely centred around Saturday night. A Saturday night kick off means that the game starts at 1745, finishes at 1935, I don't get home till 2035 still needing feeding, showering, and getting to wherever I'm meant to be. Having dinner out is unlikely and I'll a latecomer to anything I do with my friends.

As for Saturday lunchtime, no thanks, I'm quite happy having a lie in on Saturday morning after a week of tiring myself our at work. Not to mention early kick off atmospheres are dog shit. On Saturday football should only ever be at 3. If it can't, then Sunday every time.