“Day by day there’s a man in a suit who’s gonna make you pay…”
The relegation battle in the Premier League will likely come down to the final weeks of the season, and every match up until then will have fans anxious and excited to experience the action. One of the best aspects of matchdays for supporters is found in the away section, and Newcastle United have again seen television coverage get in the way of that.
The Magpies’ trip to Goodison Park against Everton was rescheduled due to Sky Sports selecting the fixture for TV coverage, moving the game from a Saturday afternoon (April 21) to a Monday night (April 23). The disappointment of this situation is with the Toon Army, and all of the fans set to travel for the encounter.
With such short notice on this type of change, those who have made their plans already will be in a tough position.
@premierleague @SkySports @theawayfans @FBAwayDays yet again showin disregard for travelling fans moving the Everton Newcastle game to a Monday night after everyone has purchased tickets! Can I have a refund for my trains and hotel please? #disgrace #nufc
— Carl Rutherford (@carl3021) March 23, 2018
The Mag reported on Saturday that the Newcastle United Supporters Trust have written a statement to the club, pleading with them to take responsibility for all of the individuals affected.
This is definitely a positive, but unfortunately it is all just another example of where the Premier League’s priorities are, and where they likely will always be.
Frustrating for the travelling support. #NUFC https://t.co/fbl8Xt2iuo
— Newcastle Toons (@NewcastleToons) March 22, 2018
C.R.E.A.M.
The television money that comes from the English top flight is in the billions, and these types of amounts bring with them plenty of power in terms of what happens throughout the league.
Sky Sports want to pay to have the game on a Monday instead of a Saturday? Travelling fans are not even considered, and it is a shame to see.
It has happened before, and it will of course happen again. However, hopefully there can be a better process planned in the future to avoid these kind of problems.
Next: A top-ten finish can be important for Newcastle
Newcastle United and manager Rafa Benitez must now alter their strategy a bit for their visit to Everton, and the Toon Army will have the same dilemma.