Premier League owners deserve fan anger as Wolves and Chelsea set for Christmas Eve farce

Wolverhampton Wanderers will host Chelsea at 1pm on Christmas Eve, which will be only the second time that a Premier League match has been scheduled for that date

On the face of it, the arrangement of the fixture between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea for 1pm on Christmas Eve does not seem to be that big a deal.

Travel-wise, it does not present too much of an issue, with visiting fans able to get back to the capital for evening festivities if they wish. But it is the symbolism of the scheduling that stinks. Really stinks.

It is as though the TV companies are doing this sort of stuff because … well, because they can. There is a live Premier League game on Friday, December 22, two live games on Saturday, December 23 and three on Boxing Day. Why on earth do they need one on Christmas Eve, particularly when it falls on a Sunday this year?

The Football Supporters Association (FSA), an extremely worthy and important organisation, is understandably outraged by the Christmas Eve fixture. “They have put money first, fans last, and we’ll be looking at ways to make that crystal clear to the Premier League and TV companies,” read an FSA statement.

And the Chelsea Supporters Trust (CST) said: “It is totally unacceptable that Wolves v Chelsea has been scheduled for Christmas Eve. The Chelsea Supporters Trust will formally request that the Premier League properly consults supporters on this issue and that they reverse this decision.”

Good on the FSA and the CST. But they know as well as we all do that those responsible for a televised football landscape in which anything goes are the owners of the Premier League clubs. And it will only get worse when the next TV deals are done.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Is it wrong for a Premier League game to be on Christmas Eve? .

The more outlandish the wages that clubs are prepared to pay players becomes, the more desperate the pursuit of TV and commercial income becomes. And the cost and the inconvenience is ultimately carried by the fans, match-going and couch-dwelling.

The match-going fan is inconvenienced by travelling at odd times, the couch-dwelling fan counts the cost because the price of broadcast rights is passed on to their customers by the TV companies. And, as a side issue that is extremely topical, you know who else is happy with the compunction to screen games on an almost daily basis? Bookmakers.

If you have no skin in the Chelsea-Wolves game, would you watch it? Probably not. But because it is on television, you might be tempted to have a punt, have a dabble on the first goalscorer or a half-time/full-time bet. Make no mistake, the explosion in football betting and the growth of live TV coverage are inextricably linked.

In terms of live TV scheduling, the horse has bolted but that does not mean the FSA and other supporters’ organisations should not make their anger known.

But that anger should be directed squarely at club owners - because they are the ones who have allowed TV companies and the Premier League to take the mickey out of match-going fans.