West Ham travel to Sunderland on Saturday for the Black Cats’ triumphant return to the big league. For a change, a 3pm on Saturday kick off will be like a dose of nostalgia, such is the rarity of Saturday afternoon football. Recent years have seen Friday, Saturday evening, Sunday and Monday kick offs as Sky’s schedule dictates all.
The Premier League is set to go live with a number of changes for the 2025/6 season: Some for the benefit of the TV audience, some for the fans in the stadium- here’s a brief rundown.
Goal keeper time wasting: Referees are set to clamp down with ‘keepers allowed eight seconds to release the ball or else a corner will be awarded to the opposition. This will baffle everyone to start off with, as it did when first introduced in the Club World Cup this summer. Whether it will be enforced more than the old ‘indirect free kick’ rule remains to be seen. Watch for referees counting down on their fingers and goal keepers claiming not to have seen!
Semi Automated VAR offsides: Hopefully the interminable line-drawing om the tv screen are long gone. More goals being ruled out for little toes being off side is the worry. At least it should happen faster without the five minute wait which is killing the spectacle. Don’t hold your breath. VAR announcements inside the stadium are also proposed to make VAR decisions less incomprehensible to spectators.
New football: Puma will be the new supplier instead of the 25 – year association with Nike. Fingers crossed it behaves itself and doesn’t herald more Arteta-like criticism.
For the armchair viewer, a big change you’ll notice is increased access for TV cameras: Touchline interviews with substituted players and cameras inside the dressing room promise all sorts of opportunity for profanities and general hilarity. The team talks will not of course be broadcast but I just wonder if UK audiences are ready for USA-style TV coverage. EPL footballers are not the brightest bunch and the opportunity to ‘offload and offend’ might be just too tempting.
Change – yes. Improvements? Decide for yourself as next season kicks off on Friday night with Liverpool hosting Bournemouth at 8.
That new keeper rule is why ball playing keepers are about to become more valuable. Potter isn’t as daft as many make out.