A Chelsea fans’ group has demanded the Premier League reverses its decision to stage the club’s game at Wolves on Christmas Eve.
The Premier League has confirmed in its latest list of fixture amendments that the fixture has been switched from its original 3pm kick-off on 23rd December to 1pm the following day to accommodate live coverage on Sky Sports.
Chelsea’s visit to Molineux on 24th December will be the first top-flight fixture to be held on Christmas Eve since 1995 and Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) said it was “totally unacceptable”.
The group said in a statement: ‘Since rumours began to circulate on this issue, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has been clear that selecting this kick-off time will place another hurdle in the way of many match-going supporters.
‘Not only could this lead to staffing issues at Molineux, but holiday transport timetables will further inconvenience supporters.
‘On Tuesday 24 October, we requested an urgent meeting with the relevant decision-makers within the Premier League. We expect that this meeting will be held very soon, alongside the Wolves 1877 Trust, and the Football Supporters’ Association.
‘The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust will formally request that the Premier League properly consults supporters on this issue and that they reverse this decision.
‘We will provide a further update to CST members in due course.’
Leeds’ 3-1 home win against Manchester United in 1995 is the only other Premier League fixture to be played on Christmas Eve.
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) described the scheduling for the Chelsea-Wolves game as ‘shocking’, and that money was being prioritised over fans.
An FSA statement read: ‘The Premier League has delivered an early present which no-one actually wanted in the shape of a Christmas Eve fixture.
‘The FSA and our supporters groups have consistently told the league this is a bad idea and they have totally ignored match-goers.
‘They’ve put money first, fans last, and we’ll be looking at ways to make that crystal clear to the Premier League and TV companies.
‘It’s shocking scheduling and we’re in discussion with our members at Chelsea, Wolves and other supporters groups, on the next steps.’
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