Leeds United: Graham Smyth hits out at ‘ridiculous’ situation after Sheffield Wednesday news
Graham Smyth has hit out at the “ridiculous” decision to shift yet another Leeds United fixture at relatively short notice.
Leeds announced on Twitter on Thursday (8 February) that the clash with Sheffield Wednesday has been brought forward a day to 8 March.
Many supporters will now have to make alternative arrangements due to the decision taken by Sky Sports to select the game for TV coverage.
Speaking on the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Inside Elland Road podcast [9 February, 09m 07s, journalist Smyth said: “Nobody thinks of the fans and just how difficult it is to get to these games, how expensive it is.
“It was raised in Parliament this week by an MP. My feeling is that nothing is going to happen.
“The Football Supporters’ Association beat the drum relentlessly – they’re always on at Sky and the Premier League to get their fixture selections in early so that fans have more notice.
“The changes of these fixtures are just ridiculous. The Premier League doesn’t say anything, nothing changes.”
Another Championship fixture changed for Leeds United
Leeds are no strangers to having fixtures moved for television coverage, but doing so with a month’s notice is not fair on supporters at all.
Plenty would have booked the day off work and already made travel arrangements, all for nothing in many ways.
There should be a rule in place that fixtures must be moved with two months’ warning, giving supporters time to lock in those arrangements.
The fact this Yorkshire derby is now kicking off at 8pm is also a brave call from authorities given what happened in 2012.
The away end at Hillsborough will still be packed out, regardless of this late change of date for what could be a key fixture.
And you just know this will not be the last such instance of a game being shifted across the final few months of the season.
It is unfortunately the price that is paid for being a club as popular as Leeds.
In other Leeds United news, Dean Jones has made a prediction regarding Wilfried Gnonto after what he has seen of late.
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