Much has been said about West Ham’s trip to Newcastle this evening in what is increasingly a crucial game for the Hammers. However, much of the discussion has understandably centred around Julen Lopetegui’s precarious job security and the Irons’ place in the bowels of the Premier League.
But spare a thought for Hammers fans travelling up to the North East this evening. Nothing demonstrates how little the Premier League cares for match going football fans more than the scheduling of this fixture.
Monday night away to Newcastle is a horrendous choice for any club based in the south of England. The last train from Newcastle to King’s Cross leaves at 21:35, arriving back in London after 1 a.m.
Forget for a moment that West Ham fans will still have to get home from King’s Cross; they won’t even be able to watch much more than half the game.
I’m unsure whether Sky Sports or the Premier League is to blame for this abomination of fixture scheduling, but West Ham must demand answers. Was there any pushback from the club, or is this a case of clubs having no say in such decisions?
If fan groups and football clubs are to have any real influence, then clubs must take a stand against these kinds of fixtures. The obvious choice for Monday Night Football would have been Bournemouth vs Brighton, but there were other options too.
Yet for some reason, the powers that be decided to schedule a game they knew fans wouldn’t be able to get public transport home from. It’s disgraceful.
It doesn’t feel like a real big deal especially since we are 2 nil up and wanbissaka has his 1st hammers goal after soucek put us 2 nil up, only 30 mins to go and all we need to do is stay solid and carry on playing the way we are. 👍👍.
The same dumdo’s running the premier league,just like the other clowns who have allowed England to play all there home games at Wembley unlike most other countries who spread them around
They dont give a monkies about real supporters.
really?! didn’t know that. unforgivable, just robbing regional fans of what they fully deserve to see. we barely get a home game here in Oz but we do spread them around. if the opposition are ‘small-fry’ the match may go to a smaller and often-ignored community. get yer sh!t together, English FA
Totally agree & late KOs in London aren’t fun for Toon fans either
TV companies don’t care about fans
Its exactly the same for Toon fans when we have to travel south for games on a Monday night. Stop wingeing and either travel or watch on sky
silly person. it’s not a whinge. just because you have to do it doesn’t mean everyone should have to. no one should have to!! so stop shifting the blame and start whingeing yerself. you’ve payed for the right…
see how it works now
The Premier league and Sky sports do not care they are like all UK governments, they have never cared about the working class people of this country.
But nothing will change it will fall upon death ears.
No matter how many people complain.
Comes down to one thing MONEY.
Hopefully people of the UK Will stand up.
Yes it’s barmy and I’ve made points about what heroes our blokes supporting the team are tonight are in two of my posts today. It’s as much a scheduling problem as a failure to provide a late train problem. Ideally scheduled differently, but a late train would make a hell of a difference.
Nothing new for Newcastle fans who have had to travel south loads of times mid week!
The only way they learn is empty grounds.
If your going and putting up with it, you’re the problem.
Empty grounds in COVID showed why they need supporters.
Walk away and it might change, otherwise don’t moan and go and enjoy.
Without the Sky/Tnt money the premier league probably wouldn’t be the best league in the world.
The downside to that is that the tv companies click their fingers and tell the premier league to change the date and times of a game and they can’t do a thing about it as it is written into the contract.
As fans we are treated like dog.s**t on the bottom of a shoe!
Maybe, IF the club are interested in having fans travel to Newcastle for a Monday night game, they could offer to pay for their travel out of the additional TV money the club get for being on live?
Your lucky its once a season at most for the London clubs, whereas NUFC fans have this problem on a regular basis.
Travelling fans are last on list of priorities, just look at wembley cup matches on a Sunday.
So FA dont even provide a good example
And exactly who is going to push back?? Sully? The Duchess?
Do me a favour. They dont give a flying fork or a rolling doughnut about the ” customers”
It’s only their club financially, not from the heart.
100% agree
Dry your eyes, we nufc have had this for yrs even over Xmas period
Sullivan would not be bothered about west ham fans so he wouldn’t complain about it whatsoever. He is a parasite to our club .
Exactly ! Well said, fans / supporters are bottom of the list when it comes to thoughts