Community Shield - Arsenal (N) | Sun 6th Aug - 16:00

[Stephen230]

Historically weekend games were 3pm on Saturday, and for almost every other level of football, that is the time for weekend games. Yes there were always midweek games and people accept this too with many just accepting they may not be able to attend. And I realise that TV is driving this, but it (the product) still belongs to the Premier League, and ultimately they decide to sell to whoever may bid and this includes K.O. times. I'm not adverse to K.O. times changing to a 12pm slot on Saturday and maybe 12pm, 2pm and 4pm on a Sunday, but when those games you were hoping to see on a Saturday or perhaps Sunday are now appearing on Friday and Monday at 8pm, then it's beginning to take the piss. And all of this is to satisfy the armchair fan!

I don’t really get this obsession with 3pm. Yeah it was traditional. But even then, for how long? It can’t have been before all clubs had floodlights, which was when, 60s? So if we’re talking first division/ Premier League, it was maybe tradition for 30 odd years or so.

 

[Son of Merv]

Are people also gonna boycott all the 8pm Champions League games because it's unfair on all those away fans not being able to get home after the game? I'm also going to take the chance to take my kids to Wembley for the Charity Shield game. I would say changing kick off times is the price of success but I seem to remember some pretty shocking fixtures changes for TV when we were down in League one (or whatever it was called) as we were the only big team down there. Wasn't Wrexham a 12 noon kick off on boxing day? Don't remember us all compliaing then. In my view, we shouldnt be complaining about Charity Shield. We should still be celebrating the fact that we are winning all these trophies and getting down there so regularly.

That was the ITV Sport days and City wrote a letter of complaint to the EFL about us constantly being picked for TV.

 

[RiversideBlue]

That was the ITV Sport days and City wrote a letter of complaint to the EFL about us constantly being picked for TV.

Suprised we could afford the paper and ink.

 

[Son of Merv]

I don’t really get this obsession with 3pm. Yeah it was traditional. But even then, for how long? It can’t have been before all clubs had floodlights, which was when, 60s? So if we’re talking first division/ Premier League, it was maybe tradition for 30 odd years or so.

It was the 1850 Factories Act which stated that no work could be undertaken after 2pm on a Saturday. Football kicked off at 3pm to give workers an hour to get from work to the match.

 

[Stephen230]

It was the 1850 Factories Act which stated that no work could be undertaken after 2pm on a Saturday. Football kicked off at 3pm to give workers an hour to get from work to the match.

They can’t have kicked off at 3pm in winter without floodlights or it would have been pitch black before the end.

 

[Corky]

They can’t have kicked off at 3pm in winter without floodlights or it would have been pitch black before the end.

It was 2pm in the football league and in the 80s a lot semi-pro teams till did.

 

[Son of Merv]

It was 2pm in the football league and in the 80s a lot semi-pro teams till did.

For the first league in 1888 there was no structure for when matches kicked off, but 3pm was given as a guide rather than a strict time. Games would often get delayed to wait for the crowd to arrive. I seem to remember that what was for years considered to be the first ever League goal actually wasnt because it was discovered by football historians that the match it was scored in didn't kick off until 3:30!

 

[CatMan]

1894's Facebook Post. A good summary of why they are asking fans to boycott.

 

[Stephen230]

It was 2pm in the football league and in the 80s a lot semi-pro teams till did.

I think the Manchester Saturday league do it on a sliding scale. Start off at 3 in August, then go to 2.45, 2.30, 2.15 and 2.00 as the nights draw in. Then back up when it starts getting lighter again.

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Are people also gonna boycott all the 8pm Champions League games because it's unfair on all those away fans not being able to get home after the game? I'm also going to take the chance to take my kids to Wembley for the Charity Shield game. I would say changing kick off times is the price of success but I seem to remember some pretty shocking fixtures changes for TV when we were down in League one (or whatever it was called) as we were the only big team down there. Wasn't Wrexham a 12 noon kick off on boxing day? Don't remember us all compliaing then. In my view, we shouldnt be complaining about Charity Shield. We should still be celebrating the fact that we are winning all these trophies and getting down there so regularly.

Champions League and Premier League games you only get 3,000 tickets for away games and there are more fans wanting to go than can get tickets for a meaningful game.
CS we have 30,000 tickets to sell for a meaningless game that there is no reason for it to be kicking off at 4pm on a Sunday.
I hope you and your kids enjoy the day. Just don't complain next year if it is a 7pm kick off. Your chance to protest against that is now.