Saturdays with only 3PM kick offs

Sewelly The Geordie

I'm in a bit split on this after hearing Top's arguments. I'm not gonna lie, I do enjoy watching the football on the TV and I watch absorbitant amounts of it. Sunday's are pretty boring without too.

That said I'm also a matchgoing fan who prefers the 3pm kick-offs and the routine that goes with it.

Pogue Mahone

Early kick-offs are a pain in the arse if you're going to a game but i've never understood why 4pm/5pm kick-offs are a problem. Suits me better, if anything.

As for wanting 3pm starts for all the games you're not going along to, that's just weird. Who gives a shit? If anything, it's a better day out when you get to watch another game in the pub before/after.

devilish

Is Britain still suffering from that stupid 3pm EPL TV football black out rule?

Colin129

This is what I was alluding to in my post, but I can't remember exactly how/why it came about.

Anybody remember?

rcoobc

To keep match going attendance up.

Guy Incognito

Yeah pretty much that, attendances and income for clubs, especially the lower league ones.

amolbhatia100

I like when all the matches are spread out on a saturday. Three live premier league games in a row in the evening and maybe a La Liga/Serie A match at night if I'm feeling up to it.

Colin129

Really as simple as that?

Guy Incognito

Well if the Premier League ever agreed with Sky/ESPN to broadcast more 3pm kickoffs, chances are it will kill off lower league attendances. The majority of lower league supporters watch the Premier League - why should they watch the highlights when they could go to the pub and see two big teams in action, thus being cost effective? I mean a lot of children may want to see Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea et al in action and with the ticket prices being high, it would make sense that 'Dad' takes them to watch it on TV as opposed to travelling to see a match.

Then you have people questioning whether they should still pay for season tickets. Away support will be affected, the income of the club too. I remember reading once that in Germany, they broadcast all Bundesliga matches which doesn't have a bearing on average attendances -their season ticket prices are fair and regularly get sell outs. That would never happen in the Premier League.

Spoony Youngblood

I love 3pm kick offs.

Man-United

La Liga got 8 different kick off times every week I think. I wonder if it will be like that in Premier League anytime in the future.

I would prefer one 12.45, one 17.30, four 15.00 and then three games on sunday and of course monday night football.

Sewelly The Geordie

Yeah, but it's certainly not stupid. Not unless you want lower league football killed off.

rcoobc

There are actually some on this forum who want that, apparently we have too many professional teams in Britain.

Guy Incognito

The problem with MNF is that it suffers from European football. So the broadcaster is strictly limited with so called "glamour ties". Before, Sky could show any big team week in, week out, now as many clubs participate in Europe, they would want the fixtures to benefit them (ie: Saturday 3pm, pushing it to an evening kickoff). Remember that during the 90s, it was really Manchester United who played in the Champions League and progressed yet Sky were so adament to broadcast their matches, they played something like three matches at 11.30am one season.

The good thing with Sky/ESPN is that they give something like a 2-3 month notice with regard to Premier League games whereas La Liga broadcasters can change at will.

Plan M

Agreed, like the good ol days

There's too much live televised footy these days. MOTD is always far more interesting when I haven't seen any of the games beforehand.

Colin129

But this came in sometime in the early 70's, long before the Premier League was invented.

Top

Argh, you Brits are officially bonkers!

How can someone who has football as his main hobby want to decrease the amount of football in TV?

You say you want all games to be played at the same time so that MOTD is more interesting. I mean, what?

Have you considered simply not watching the matches then?

devilish

I live in a country were football is not exactly of the highest level. If I don't watch Manchester United play I don't watch football or switch to other top quality football which provides the level of football I like to see. I will certainly not go and see a random amateur club play just because I can't see Manchester United play that is ridiculous.

It would be better to let the 3pm game being shown + ask a bigger slice of the money generated to go for the smaller clubs. In that way the fans will watch their club AND the small clubs will still have the means to make ends meet.

Sewelly The Geordie

The lower league game in this country is the strongest in the world, with clubs having over a hundred years of history and loyal fanbases. These teams are the hubs of their communities. They're already struggling enough but you put Premier League games on at 3pm in the afternoon and the next generation of supporters end up just staying at home watching a Premier League game instead of supporting their local side.

The game at lower levels will die a death if you start televising 3pm kick offs. The money doesn't trickle down and it certainly isn't going to start doing so just because even more games are being televised.

devilish

I cant understand how such system work to be honest. I mean i would not watch a side who play sub standard football unless i support that side and that apply whether united are on tv or not. One musnt forget that with new technologies and globalisation one can easily bupass that rule. It would be easier to help smaller sides by giving them a bigger chunk of the media money