Who knew?
A sensational report in The Times has revealed that the Premier League has been secretly keeping the so-called ‘top six’ sides apart on the opening and final weekends of the season.
The arrangement has been in place for years but fans were never made aware of it.
Apparently, the Premier League has been keeping the biggest sides in England apart at either end of the season for commercial reasons.
They avoid pairing the top teams together on the opening weekend as viewing figures tend to be down in general, with several fans still on summer holidays in August, while the reason for keeping them apart on the final weekend is due to a belief that a high-profile clash would take away from the other fixtures that are taking place simultaneously.
“This arrangement is certainly news to us and we look forward to holding discussions with the Premier League about the pros and cons of it,” chief executive of the Football Supporters’ Federation, Kevin Miles said, via the Telegraph.
It should be pointed out that Liverpool and Arsenal did play one another at the Emirates on the opening weekend of the 2016/17 season but the Reds had finished in eighth place the year before.
The secret scheduling plans came to light in a document provided to broadcasters for the coming seasons and the arrangement has not sat well with certain supporters’ groups.
Arsenal Supporters’ Trust said: “Every Premier League club should be treated equally, and we do not agree with this push for them to receive a bigger share of television money.
“The AST would like the focus of the schedule to be on organising fixtures and kick-off times that are convenient for fans who go to matches, rather than what best suits domestic or overseas TV viewers.”
