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Through The Fixture Jungle with John Alexander

BoringOldFan

It's better to burn out than to fade away...
Sep 20, 2005
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Having set something of an unwanted record last season by playing only 40 games, Tottenham will finish this term with 59 matches under their belt. Extended runs in the Carling, F.A. and UEFA Cups added 19 more games to the season.

But this success brings its own problems in the form of fixture congestion. Luckily, Spurs has its very own decongestant: Club Secretary John Alexander. It’s his job to fit the quart of fixtures into the pint pot of dates. An email asking why we were playing three games in the last week of the season brought a generous offer from John to explain what goes on behind the scenes.

So why ARE we playing three games in the last week, John?

Fixtures Announced - All Change!

“It’s something we’ve been battling against most of the season”, he says “and it’s impossible to get the best for all worlds. The fixtures are published in June, and these are followed by TV requests, which are then discussed with the police before the fixtures are finalised with the FAPL before July.

There are certain constraints around the TV selections, for example it is highly unlikely you would ever see a Saturday 5.15pm kick-off in the Metropolitan Police area.

“From that point on, there will be further changes due to TV coverage and the influence of various clubs’ progress in European competitions. But changes for other reasons have to be with the agreement of both clubs and the FAPL; no one club can force a fixture change on another".

Europe: The Final Countdown!

One of the main difficulties as the season progresses is the situation that arises when two Premiership teams in European competitions are due to play each other between Champions League/UEFA Cup weeks. With Champions League games scheduled for Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and UEFA Cup games on Thursdays, clearly there can be situations where one club will be left in the difficult position of having to play twice in 3 days and unless both clubs and the FAPL agree someone has to lose out.

Such was the situation at the beginning of April when we played in Sevilla on a Thursday night and at Stamford Bridge on the following Saturday afternoon. But as Chelsea had a Champions League game the next Tuesday, and their remaining fixture programme offered no free dates through to the end of the season, the game had to remain on the Easter Saturday as originally scheduled.

However, John had greater success when switching the Blackburn home game, due to be played two days after the Chelsea fixture. With the full cooperation of our opponents and the FAPL, he was able to move this match to the last Thursday in the season.

The Charlton game is now being played on the previous Monday because it was chosen for live broadcast by Sky. Tottenham, like the other 19 Premiership clubs, has signed up to a rights agreement with broadcasters, which gives them the ability to select matches for live coverage at agreed slots over Saturday, Sunday and Monday. So we can’t really join the club and then ask to change the rules.

As well as working with the Premier League, John also lobbies UEFA to get the best for our team in Europe. Through his efforts we were able to have a UEFA Cup-free week leading up to the away game at Arsenal last December.

Such is the importance of giving the team the best opportunity to prepare, Tottenham gave up the opportunity of a live broadcast on a Saturday evening for the Manchester City away game. This followed our UEFA Cup match with Dinamo Bucharest, so the TV money was lost to give the team an extra day to prepare. This paid off with our first away win of the season on the Sunday.

Will We Go Intertoto?

Given that we have three games in seven days in May, what are our chances of playing in the UEFA Cup next season? Well the good news from John is that it’s better than you think, and it’s all down to that often-derided tournament, the Intertoto Cup.

“The deadline for entries for the Intertoto Cup is early February”, said John “And we entered along with 6 other FAPL Clubs: Blackburn, Newcastle, Boro, Bolton, Everton and Fulham. This season the place is open to the highest-placed team in the four spots below the normal UEFA Cup positions.

“As those are 5th, 6th and 7th this season, the Intertoto Cup place will go to the highest entered team from 8th to 11th.” At the moment Fulham is in 16th place, Boro 14th and Newcastle 12th so they are all outside the minimum qualifying spot, Blackburn is 10th with Bolton and Everton in automatic UEFA Cup slots .

Obviously we’re all hoping for a strong run-in and a top seven finish to guarantee us a place in the UEFA Cup. But it’s good to know that if we don’t achieve that, we need only to finish as the highest team of those entrants finishing in 8th – 11th place – to get the Intertoto spot.

If it comes down to that, we would then play a two legged tie (first leg away against a team from Lithuania/Wales or Poland) to get through to the UEFA Cup, one round before the clubs who finish 5th, 6th and 7th. The first leg of any Intertoto Cup tie will be over the weekend July 21/22 with the return leg the following weekend.

As a result of being the club that progressed furthest in the UEFA Cup having qualified through the Intertoto route, Newcastle United has been awarded the Intertoto Cup for this season.

John then revealed a little-known curiosity of the Intertoto Cup. If no team from the Premiership is able to, or declines to take up the FA’s designated place in the competition, the FA faces being fined by UEFA.

We all want the best players, coaches and manager at the club. But for them to be able to do their job as well as possible, a top team is also needed behind the scenes. With his skill and close control, John Alexander is clearly the Dimitar Berbatov of the fixture list!
 

SpurSince57

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2006
45,213
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Good stuff, BOF. A shame that the Barcodes appear to have snuck into the Intertoto, though.
 

roguepsi

SC's Sexiest Male™ (retired)
Jun 21, 2005
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Very insightful BOF, ta.

The basic jist is that its tough titties we play 3 times in 6 days and if we fail to get into europe in any form, we are shit and probably don't deserve it anyway.
The good news is that we are pretty much gauranteed at least the Intertoto entry unless something VERY bad happens in terms of the league shaping up.

Good stuff, BOF. A shame that the Barcodes appear to have snuck into the Intertoto, though.

Look again. They'll need Villa to throw away 11th for them to have any chance.
 

Chuba

SC founder member gone bad, i love u all
Sep 21, 2003
5,916
2
Very interesting read BOF thnx for sharing, definately gave out the information needed to understand why we were playing 3 games in 7 days, i have another therory also that the club thought we would be playing in the UEFA Cup semi-finals this week hence the reason why Blackburn was pushed onto next week.
 

nightgoat

Well-Known Member
Sep 12, 2005
24,604
21,898
The good news is that we are pretty much gauranteed at least the Intertoto entry unless something VERY bad happens in terms of the league shaping up.

And that if we do go via that route, we've got a virtual shoe-in tie for a UEFA spot...
 

mdharris

Well-Known Member
Oct 12, 2005
1,771
3,033
While the Intertoto is a great safety net, its still important that we qualify via the league. Why? That way we can offer guaranteed European football all summer to our transfer prospects, the players get more of a rest in the summer (vital to the early season morale), other benefits are the cash we et for finishing a position or two higher and the sense of deserving the Uefa cup rather than sneaking in (this I grant you is a bit flimsy, but it may on the mind of fans/ players)
 

JJetset

Lurking in the shadows of threads...
Oct 4, 2004
3,117
30,679
Thanks BOF a good read and bit of info.

Can't wait for your transfer spreadsheet to make its arrival after the season ends and we are in silly season again!
 

AJ

Active Member
Jun 8, 2003
708
130
I'm fairly confident that we'll finish in the top 7, but even if we don't, it's looking good.

Unless we finish below Blackburn and both Bolton and Everton stay in the top seven, we'll get at least the Intertoto spot, because neither Pompey or Reading have applied for it.

This means that if Everton beats Portsmouth on Saturday and Pompey doesn't win Arsenal, Pompey doesn't get into the top 7 and will not get into Europe. In that case we would need only two more points from our last three games in order to stay above Blackburn and clinch the Intertoto place. But lets hope it doesn't come to that. Comparing individual players, we're vastly superior to Charlton and let's hope that it shows on the pitch as well.
 

RBlanch

New Member
Apr 22, 2004
196
2
Good stuff, BOF. A shame that the Barcodes appear to have snuck into the Intertoto, though.

No - Newcastle have won this seasons Intertoto Cup, there is no longer an actual Intertoto Competition as such, the trophy is awarded to the team that makes the most progress in the competition from those who qualified via the Intertoto.....perhaps we won't have to wait so long for another European Trophy!!!
 

Dougal

Staff
Jun 4, 2004
60,346
129,922
John then revealed a little-known curiosity of the Intertoto Cup. If no team from the Premiership is able to, or declines to take up the FA’s designated place in the competition, the FA faces being fined by UEFA.

I knew that :wink: When the Intertoto started no-one from England wanted the 3 places available but the FA eventually managed to persuade ourselves and two other clubs, Wimbledon and Sheffield Wednesday if I remember correctly. We then fielded a team of youngsters and an out of contract Alan Pardew and got stuffed in one of our games 8-0 by Cologne. Ah well, didn’t want to be in the competition then anyway :shifty:

Anyway, good work BOF :up:
 

DC_Boy

New Member
May 20, 2005
17,608
5
great stuff BOF :) no idea how this rep stuff works - but have loads of virtual reps anyway :)

This has really made my day - assuming the info is correct we're almost guaranteed Inter Toto now- and to think I wasted a monday evening supporting toon v reading :)

It also means the truth of the possible scenario pointed out by Fred Money and a few others that come Thursday week Blackburn may be 'less than motivated' to beat us :)
 

gloryglory

Well-Known Member
Oct 19, 2004
1,537
302
Good stuff, BOF. A shame that the Barcodes appear to have snuck into the Intertoto, though.

Surely not? Blackburn are 5 points ahead of them and Newcastle only have 2 games left.

If it were us, Bolton and Everton in 5th, 6th and 7th, then Reading and Portsmouth would most likely be 8th and 9th, and Blackburn would get the Intertoto slot for finishing 10th.

But I think Reading will get into the UEFA, leaving us, Bolton or Everton outside the top 7. In which case, one of those three will get the spot.

Anyway, there are now only two ways we can miss out on at least the Intertoto:

1) We're overtaken by Blackburn. Even if they beat us at the Lane, this requires them to get something at St James's and us to win no more games, so it's unlikely. But not impossible.

2) We finish 9th, and Portsmouth and Reading both make the UEFA Cup spots. Bolton or Everton come 8th and take the Intertoto spot. This scenario could come true if Everton don't beat Portsmouth at home - but I think they will - but we'd only really need one more win to ensure we finish higher than 9th.
 

DC_Boy

New Member
May 20, 2005
17,608
5
The Charlton game is now being played on the previous Monday because it was chosen for live broadcast by Sky. Tottenham, like the other 19 Premiership clubs, has signed up to a rights agreement with broadcasters, which gives them the ability to select matches for live coverage at agreed slots over Saturday, Sunday and Monday. So we can’t really join the club and then ask to change the rules.

... Such is the importance of giving the team the best opportunity to prepare, Tottenham gave up the opportunity of a live broadcast on a Saturday evening for the Manchester City away game. This followed our UEFA Cup match with Dinamo Bucharest, so the TV money was lost to give the team an extra day to prepare. This paid off with our first away win of the season on the Sunday.'

I asked the other day if we were allowed to cancel Sky games - seems we can - but at same time seems we're expected to 'play the game' (in both senses of the phrase) - I guess this means it's all down to negotiation and the moreal strength of the case - or perhaps if a UEFA date is giving us problems we can 'get out of a Sky domestic agreement'
 

DC555

Member
Sep 26, 2005
565
0
Interesting article, thanks BOF.

I notice the comment...

Through his efforts we were able to have a UEFA Cup-free week leading up to the away game at Arsenal last December.

Shame the team couldn't be bothered to turn up for that game!
 

tommyt

SC Supporter
Jul 22, 2005
6,166
10,978
i'm more confused now than when i started.

Are Newcastle guaranteed a spot regardless of where they finish in the league as they are one of the inter-toto qualifiers who progressed the furthest?
 

Captain Spur

Gold Member
Dec 8, 2006
1,171
0
Good stuff. Would rather we don't have to go the intertwobob route but as mentioned it is a good safety net to have. Also didn't know the FA would be fined if no entrant from England went into the competition.
 

bubble07

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2004
22,959
29,896
nice one bof!!

but still confused with newcastle. Are they in intertoto or not?
 
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