How the fixtures are compiled

[RobRoyal]

I remember that we had to play 3 away games on the trot at the begining of a season once. Was the year we moved to the Mad Stad. IIRC it was because it wasn't fully ready yet.

Was that true, or am I imagining stuff again?

No, that's right - start of 98/99 season. But for that we asked the other club(s) if they minded changing the games.

I've always had this sneaky suspicion that starting out with 3 away games ruined that season for us - if we'd had a big home win early on it might have boosted confidence. Total rubbish, of course, because we were shite and going nowhere, but I still can't shake the feeling that we were robbed by lazy builders.

[Compo's Hat]

I remember that we had to play 3 away games on the trot at the begining of a season once. Was the year we moved to the Mad Stad. IIRC it was because it wasn't fully ready yet.

Was that true, or am I imagining stuff again?

No, that's right - start of 98/99 season. But for that we asked the other club(s) if they minded changing the games.

I've always had this sneaky suspicion that starting out with 3 away games ruined that season for us - if we'd had a big home win early on it might have boosted confidence. Total rubbish, of course, because we were shite and going nowhere, but I still can't shake the feeling that we were robbed by lazy builders.

To be fair, we did have 5 games in a row at home in January.

[readingfc_4_life_and_beyo]

Cheers for that Dirk. Interesting reading.

Shame that they don't have a rule for home match at the start of the season, away at the end, or the other way round. And also Man Utd and Chelsea first two matches. That's a bit pants.

Still, brilliant reading Dirk, Ta.

[From Despair To Where?]

I remember that we had to play 3 away games on the trot at the begining of a season once. Was the year we moved to the Mad Stad. IIRC it was because it wasn't fully ready yet.

Was that true, or am I imagining stuff again?

No, that's right - start of 98/99 season. But for that we asked the other club(s) if they minded changing the games.

IIRC the opening fixture at Wrexham was originally scheduled as a home game.

[PieEater]

1. Around Feb each year, every club is asked to submit preferences for dates and matches (i.e. we can't be at home on Reading Festival saturday, Doncaster can't be at home on St Leger Day, there's a flower show in Shrewsbury which means they lose the car park so have to be away ..... and so on - there are hundreds of such requests!).

I'm surprised that there seems to be no qualification on the scale of each conflicting event, or degree of preference. You'd think the police would have the actual say on any conflict, and that the club should make arrangements themselves for conflict arising from using shared facilities.

[Dirk Gently]

1. Around Feb each year, every club is asked to submit preferences for dates and matches (i.e. we can't be at home on Reading Festival saturday, Doncaster can't be at home on St Leger Day, there's a flower show in Shrewsbury which means they lose the car park so have to be away ..... and so on - there are hundreds of such requests!).

I'm surprised that there seems to be no qualification on the scale of each conflicting event, or degree of preference. You'd think the police would have the actual say on any conflict, and that the club should make arrangements themselves for conflict arising from using shared facilities.

There is a priority assigned to each, and not all of the requests are able to be complied with (sometimes two clubs make conflicting requests) - but the leagues recognise that if they schedule a match which can't be held for whatever reason then it'll be postponed and a club will be without a saturday game, so they try to avoid it.

But it is really the police who have the biggest say - clubs can request games not be held at certain times, but the Police can insist on it.

[1947royal]

Can anyone explain why we have had to play away on Boxing day and the Saturday for the past two seasons.At least this year they are both in London but that wasn't the case last season.On the basis of some posters theories,I cannot believe the club asked for that.

[Captain Sinbad]

If you have a bubble in wallpaper then stick a pin in the centre of the bubble and press. The prick won't be visible.

Bit like a chav with tinted windows then?

[Dirk Gently]

Can anyone explain why we have had to play away on Boxing day and the Saturday for the past two seasons.At least this year they are both in London but that wasn't the case last season.On the basis of some posters theories,I cannot believe the club asked for that.

It's luck - we didn't ask to be at home so we had a 50% chance of being away. But Boxing Day is one of the days that gets specially looked at to make sure it's not too inaccessible to travel to so it wasn't too bad.

And one of the other rules is if you're away on Boxing Day you're home on New Year's Day and vice versa - so a 50% chance for the Saturday.

[BonBoh]

And after all that....


.... along came SKY and re-arranged some of the fixtures to suit their TV schedule. Then a fixture or two gets postponed due to bad weather and the air bubble pops up somewhere else.

oh, well... They can but try.

[RG30]

No doubt the Man Utd Vs Chelsea fixture will be arranged for the weekend of FA Cup Semi Finals, so that when 1 of them reach the stage it will have to be rearranged towards the back end of the season in the hope that its the title decider will come down to it so Sky can cream themselves even further.

Still, interesting stuff.

[Behindu]

Can anyone explain why we have had to play away on Boxing day and the Saturday for the past two seasons.At least this year they are both in London but that wasn't the case last season.On the basis of some posters theories,I cannot believe the club asked for that.

IIRC we had a run a few years ago of 3 or 4 away fixtureson Boxing Day, the club put in a request for a home fixture and the next season we were at home. Whether as a result of the request or the 50/50 gamble changing direction I guess we can;t be sure ! But the club did put in the request !

[Rawlie19]

Can anyone explain why we have had to play away on Boxing day and the Saturday for the past two seasons.At least this year they are both in London but that wasn't the case last season.On the basis of some posters theories,I cannot believe the club asked for that.

IIRC we had a run a few years ago of 3 or 4 away fixtureson Boxing Day, the club put in a request for a home fixture and the next season we were at home. Whether as a result of the request or the 50/50 gamble changing direction I guess we can;t be sure ! But the club did put in the request !

And we lost 3-0 to Wimbledon (who?) so go figure.

[1960]

No doubt the Man Utd Vs Chelsea fixture will be arranged for the weekend of FA Cup Semi Finals, so that when 1 of them reach the stage it will have to be rearranged towards the back end of the season in the hope that its the title decider will come down to it so Sky can cream themselves even further.

In fact the Chelsea v Man Utd fixture is at the end of April with only two games to come. It could already be pencilled in by Sky as Super Sunday (unless setanta grab it).

[knights_1990]

easy start for us then lads. Man utd away then chelsea at home. Piece of P**S.