PL accused of NEGLECTING fans after games re-arranged at awkward times
Premier League is accused of NEGLECTING fans after Manchester United had two games re-arranged at times when it will be IMPOSSIBLE to travel home by train, with the club’s Supporters’ Trust claiming that match-goers are ‘nobody’s priority’
- Man United’s game at West Ham has been re-arranged for 7pm on a Sunday
- King Charles’ will be coronated the day before, causing potential travel chaos
- Visiting fans will have to leave early to catch the last train back to Manchester
The Premier League and broadcasters have been accused of neglecting match-going fans after they scheduled two of Manchester United’s away games in May at times when it is impossible for visiting supporters to travel home by train.
United’s rearranged match at Brighton will be played on Thursday, May 4 at 8pm before they take on West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday, May 7 at 7pm – the day after the coronation of King Charles.
Supporters heading to the two games face travel chaos as there are no trains back to Manchester after the Brighton match, and the last one home from London after the West Ham clash is at 9:49pm, meaning fans would have to leave early in order to catch it.
While the Brighton game was always likely to be in midweek due to United’s congested fixture list, the decision to move the trip to West Ham to a Sunday evening has sparked anger among supporters.
It is the second time Erik ten Hag’s side have been switched to the Sunday 7pm kick-off slot this season.
The Premier League has been accused of neglecting fans after scheduling two Manchester United away games at times when it will be impossible to travel home
United will play in Brighton at 8pm in a Tuesday and West Ham at 7pm on a Saturday, with no trains back to Manchester running after full time for either game
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust felt the decision showed that match-going fans are ‘nobody’s priority’
A spokesperson for the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust told Sportsmail: ‘Only three years ago we were told that football without fans is nothing.
‘These decisions show how quickly the football authorities forget. The match-going fan appears to be nobody’s priority in the scheduling of games.’
The coronation is set to heap further misery on fans at matches over that weekend, with thousands expected in London to celebrate the historic occasion.
In a statement on Friday, the Premier League apologised for the delay in announcing their broadcast selections for the coronation weekend and said they ‘understood’ the frustration of fans.
‘Finalising these particular selections took longer than expected due to complications around the scheduling on the weekend of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort,’ the Premier League added.
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