Government officials condemn Premier League festive period kick-off time farce
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‘Fan transport arrangements must be taken into account’: Whitehall lashes out at Premier League decision to abandon fans as late kick-off over the festive period leaves many wondering how they will get home
- Sportsmail revealed Arsenal v West Ham will kick off at 8pm on Boxing Day
- Several fans will face travel issues due to game timing
- The fixtures were finally announced on Monday, 13 days after their due date
- Government officials have condemned the Premier League’s decision
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Government officials have condemned the Premier League’s decision to abandon supporters with travel chaos over the festive period, bolstering Sportsmail’s campaign to end the kick-off scandal.
Sportsmail revealed that Arsenal’s Boxing Day game against West Ham would be moved from 3pm to 8pm, leaving furious fans wondering how they would get home at 10pm on a bank holiday.
The Gunners’ journey to Brighton has been moved to 5.30pm on New Year’s Eve, while the 500-mile journey from Newcastle to the Emirates Stadium and the long journey from Bournemouth to Manchester United on January 3 have both also been moved to 8pm.
Arsenal’s game against West Ham on Boxing Day kicks off at 8pm in a Premier League decision, leaving fans wondering how they’ll get home on a holiday
Government officials say transport arrangements should be considered as Newcastle’s 500-mile journey to Arsenal on January 3 has been moved to a 8pm kick-off
A government source told The Mail on Sunday: “While the Premier League is a matter for the Premier League to meet with clubs and local authorities, it is clear to the Sports Secretary that supporter transport arrangements need to be considered , especially around the games during the festive period.’
The announcement caused even more frustration as it came two weeks later than expected, with the Premier League expected to announce game times on October 11.
The Premier League apologized for the delay, but said they had still given supporters at least nine weeks’ notice and blamed the delay on local authorities’ approval for certain matches that failed to arrive on time.
Top sources also claimed that the Boxing Day matches were selected to include as many matches as possible with minimum travel distance for fans, with three matches involving all London clubs, including the Arsenal and West Ham match at 8pm.
Bournemouth’s long journey to Manchester United also starts on January 3 at 8pm
