Arsenal and Chelsea fans FUME over late fixture move – but Met Police blame Sky Sports
Arsenal and Chelsea fans FUME for being ‘treated with complete contempt’ after their Emirates clash was moved from a Saturday night to a Tuesday night with just 18 days’ notice as the Met Police blame Sky Sports for refusing an earlier kick-off
- Arsenal’s game against Chelsea has been moved from April 29 to May 2 at short notice
- Supporters are outraged at the decision to move the game so late
- With Police, Sky Sports laid the blame for denying an earlier kick-off
Arsenal and Chelsea have been left in limbo with their furious supporters vowing to summon London Mayor Sadiq Khan after the Met Police ordered their impending clash to be rescheduled at short notice.
The game that was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 29 at 5:30 PM, will now take place a few days later on Tuesday, May 2, starting at 8:00 PM. Fans are labeling the change as an example of “treated with complete contempt.” ‘
A date and time for the London derby was already agreed in February after talks between broadcaster Sky and the Safety Advisory Group, which includes the Premier League, both clubs, the police and local authorities.
However, police have now wreaked havoc on supporters’ plans by calling for a rescheduling just 18 days before the match was due to take place.
The Met claims the new date was chosen by “football partners” after their request to bring forward the April 29 kick-off time was “rejected”.
Arsenal and Chelsea are in limbo over the rescheduling of their match originally scheduled for April 29 to May 2, with supporters furious over the late change
It is believed that the Metropolitan Police do not have the resources to safely monitor the match on Saturday, April 29. They blamed Sky Sports for moving the match in a statement
It is believed that little explanation was given to the clubs as to why a kick-off time change was necessary, other than that the police can no longer guarantee that they can safely complete the previously agreed match.
Exactly why this became the case remains unclear.
The move has sparked widespread confusion, disappointment and anger among all involved.
A joint statement from the Arsenal and Chelsea supporters’ associations read: ‘It is totally unacceptable that with 18 days until the game it has been announced that Arsenal v Chelsea will be postponed and rescheduled.
“We are deeply disappointed that a confirmed match has been rescheduled after both clubs, the broadcaster, the security advisory group and the police confirmed it. This is an insult to the supporters in attendance.
“This is not the first time that the police have made arbitrary and inexplicable decisions that negatively affect our clubs and supporters.
“This decision will cause great inconvenience to supporters who have already made travel and accommodation arrangements and will negatively impact those attending the match.
The AST and CST are calling on the Premier League to clarify these issues. We will in turn be taking this matter to the Mayor of London, who oversees the Metropolitan Police. Supporters are treated with complete contempt.’
Arsenal issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon expressing their displeasure with the move
A statement from the Met explained that when they were advised of plans for a 5:30pm weekend kickoff, they were keen to negotiate an earlier start time.
“This was as a preventative and proactive measure to reduce antisocial behavior and crime associated with later weekend kickoffs,” the statement said.
The Met proposed an earlier April 29 kick-off time to minimize crime and disorder and the impact on fans, which was rejected by football partners who chose to play the game on an alternate date. A new date has now been agreed of Tuesday 2 May at 20:00.’
Arsenal’s displeasure with the situation was evident in their statement, which read: ‘This change has been made as a result of the Metropolitan Police reviewing its stance on policing the match.
“Having worked with the Met Police to find a solution, we are very disappointed with the impact and disruption this match change will cause to our supporters, especially after this match was initially cleared for a Saturday night kick-off.”
In a statement, the Premier League said: ‘The original schedule for this match was approved at a meeting of the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) in February.
However, the Metropolitan Police have now revised their stance on kick-off time and requested a new SAG meeting which determined that the match should be rescheduled.
“We regret the need to reschedule this match and the impact it will have on supporters. The match will remain live on Sky Sports.”
