Fixture changes

[SpursManChris]

Not really, we won 4-0. I bet they didn't find that very funny.

LOL, yeah, I was being sarcastic. Do you really think they got the last laugh by us having the majority of the day to get to Newcastle while they had until 12pm to get to London? That's hardly revenge!

 

[SpursManChris]

It was a Thatcherite plot.

which is?

 

[markiespurs]

About the kick off times, I don't know how true it is, but The people who sit behind me at the Lane were telling me last Thursday that when they were in the ticket office they were told that our kick off times for the re arranged fixtures would be 1.30pm because of the Asian TV market and our sponsorship with AIA.

 

[tototoner]

About the kick off times, I don't know how true it is, but The people who sit behind me at the Lane were telling me last Thursday that when they were in the ticket office they were told that our kick off times for the re arranged fixtures would be 1.30pm because of the Asian TV market and our sponsorship with AIA.

dont like 1.30pm KOs, end up drinking too much

 

[tommo84]

lol, shit, I confused myself and you as it turns out. What I meant to say was Londoners who cannot make Sunday matches are punished by not being able to attend home games. Almost all our bloody Saturday games are away.

I'd imagine that Sunday games are only tougher to attend for fans outside of London who are mindful of not getting too late after the game if they have work on the Monday. Therefore for those fans the 1:30 kick offs are much preferred to 4pm kick offs like we had last season.

Also, I'd imagine that there are great many more fans who struggle to make Saturday games because they work some Saturday shifts but the vast majority of people don't work on Sundays, so not sure how you think Sunday home games are making it impossible for London based Spurs fans to attend. Certainly no more so than if we only ever played on Saturdays then it would be impossible for anyone who regularly works Saturdays to attend.

I travel in from MK and so I prefer Saturday games as I know I've not got to think about work the next day (along with the other reasons why fans think of Saturday 3pm as the sacred kick off time), but if we're in the Europa League and 3pm isn't an option, then I think 1:30pm is the most fan friendly kick off time as oposed to 4pm or the Monday night.

 

[SpursManChris]

I'd imagine that Sunday games are only tougher to attend for fans outside of London who are mindful of not getting too late after the game if they have work on the Monday.

While I wouldn't say "only" fans outside London, you're right, there probably would be those outside London who struggle with Sunday games, which only strengthens my point.

Therefore for those fans the 1:30 kick offs are much preferred to 4pm kick offs like we had last season.

Oh but the season is still young and Sky still have to announce December onwards! (Because isn't 4pm their Sunday slot?) Plus we have Hull (Away) and Everton (Home) in November both at 4pm.

Also, I'd imagine that there are great many more fans who struggle to make Saturday games because they work some Saturday shifts but the vast majority of people don't work on Sundays, so not sure how you think Sunday home games are making it impossible for London based Spurs fans to attend. Certainly no more so than if we only ever played on Saturdays then it would be impossible for anyone who regularly works Saturdays to attend.

Well even if there are more fans who can't do Saturday because of work I still think the club should be aiming towards half and half, that is half of home games on Sat and half on Sun, even though I really do not think the club ever considers how to achieve this. However, it appears that those fans are very well looked after considering our Sunday games, so surely it's only fair for the other people to have more Saturday games. When I think of those who maybe cannot make sunday games, I'm thinking of people who have sunday as their family day, or those who have religious commitments, Christians or Jews. Isn't our area full of Jews? Our club is basically Jewish right? What about our Jewish fans?

 

[SpursManChris]

Southampton Sunday at 2.05 is a strange kick-off isn't it.

 

[Gassin's finest]

Great... that's my day's drinking in and around the Newcastle game fooked.

 

[Hoddtastic72]

Will I still get to keep the ticket I bought from the official site, now the west brom game has been moved from saturday to the sunday? (obviously hasn't been posted out yet)

 

[Star_of_Davids]

Southampton Sunday at 2.05 is a strange kick-off isn't it.

That's the same time as the battle of the scum kicks off at Stamford Bridge, one of those Sundays with 3 TV matches

 

[tommo84]

Southampton Sunday at 2.05 is a strange kick-off isn't it.

As somebody else mentioned its to tie in with the overseas tv rights. That day there are 3, instead of 2, televised Sunday games in the UK, with kick off times at 12, 14:05 and 16:10. They therefore have to have our game kicking off simultaneously with one of those 3 games so that overseas tv companies can give fans the choice of both games on their multi-choice thing (like we sometimes do here for other sports, like Heineken Cup rugby). They've chose 14:05 as it is closest to 13:30, which appeals most to the Asian market (by virtue of time difference) which we are targeting via our partnership with AIA. Same thing happened last season with the Cardiff game. That kicked off at 16:30 despite not being on tv because it was when the Super Sunday game kicked off, to cater for Sky's coverage of the Capital One Cup Final earlier in the afternoon.

I'd even suspect that the Asian market would have hoped for a 12:00 kick off but both ourselves and Southampton would have resisted that and compromised with the 14:05 slot.

The fact that Chelsea v Arsenal kicks off at 14:05 might have been a factor also, although I'd imagine police would have preferred us to stagger our kick off from that so as to avoid Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs fans all travelling around London, en masse, between 4 and 6pm after both games have finished.

The moral of the tale is that, whereas priority used to be given to: British television, then police, then the clubs, then fans. Now it's: British television, foreign television, then police, then the clubs, then fans. Its all a bit sh*t.

 

[tommo84]

Will I still get to keep the ticket I bought from the official site, now the west brom game has been moved from saturday to the sunday? (obviously hasn't been posted out yet)

Yes. Even if they post out tickets with the original date and time on, they will still be valid for the rearranged date. Same applies to matches which are posponed due to weather conditions.

 

[SpursManChris]

As somebody else mentioned its to tie in with the overseas tv rights. That day there are 3, instead of 2, televised Sunday games in the UK, with kick off times at 12, 14:05 and 16:10.

I'd love to know why the specific times of 5 minutes past and 10 minutes past.

I'd even suspect that the Asian market would have hoped for a 12:00 kick off.

Why would you say that?

The fact that Chelsea v Arsenal kicks off at 14:05 might have been a factor

Any ideas why? I can only think of the negative of the potential of fan clashing, as you mentioned.

 

[carpediem991]

I'd love to know why the specific times of 5 minutes past and 10 minutes past.

Can't say for sure but I always thought they are do it like this:

2:00 kickoff game 1
2:47 half time
3:02 start 2nd half
3:50-55 end 2nd half

Then they need enough time to analyse the first game a few minutes, preview the second one shortly and of course enough commercial breaks before the next game starts.

 

[Hoddtastic72]

Yes. Even if they post out tickets with the original date and time on, they will still be valid for the rearranged date. Same applies to matches which are posponed due to weather conditions.

Cool, thanks for that!

 

[Star_of_Davids]

Can't say for sure but I always thought they are do it like this:

2:00 kickoff game 1
2:47 half time
3:02 start 2nd half
3:50-55 end 2nd half

Then they need enough time to analyse the first game a few minutes, preview the second one shortly and of course enough commercial breaks before the next game starts.

Also allows for a long stoppage such as a goalkeeper injury.

 

[Shadydan]

dont like 1.30pm KOs, end up drinking too much

Don't drink.

 

[SpursManChris]

Can't say for sure but I always thought they are do it like this:

2:00 kickoff game 1
2:47 half time
3:02 start 2nd half
3:50-55 end 2nd half

Then they need enough time to analyse the first game a few minutes, preview the second one shortly and of course enough commercial breaks before the next game starts.

Yeah but your example kicks off on the hour, not 5 mins past.

 

[carpediem991]

Yeah but your example kicks off on the hour, not 5 mins past.

Why? Analyzing, previewing and commercial breaks could do with more than 5-10 minutes. Especially when there are sometimes 10 minutes added time due to injury.

 

[SpursManChris]

Why? Analyzing, previewing and commercial breaks could do with more than 5-10 minutes. Especially when there are sometimes 10 minutes added time due to injury.

yeah but isn't out kick off 14.05? I'm questioning why it may be 5 past. Either way, your general suggestion that it could be linked to program timing should be spot on I'd say. I really should have thought of that.