Fixtures leak

[Gary James]

Since the last time we played at home on the opening day we've:

Played Chelsea the champions away.
Played away at Blackburn, Villa and West Ham when United were champs.
Played away at Spurs last season, if you believe the rumour about the club wanting an away game first to finish off City Square then that's why, but that's the only season we could maybe question not having a home game first.

I think the Chelsea game (2006-07) was because of treatment to the pitch. That summer the stadium had staged several significant concerts and I think (can't be 100% certain though) that the Club asked for additional time to get the pitch in a fit state. I seem to remember that it was re-seeded - growing time alone would have been a potential issue.

Obviously, they needed to ask before the concerts were staged and so it may well have been perfect - it did stage the Thomas Cook game 4 days before the first home game (this may not have been finalised when the fixture request was made).

 

[OB1]

The winners of the league are always at home first game the following season but what really gets me is how on many an occasion when this has happened they have been at home last game also, that is a fix it means we have had seasons where our first and last games we have been away

Yup. Even last season when they were not title holders we started and finished the season with away games and it's truly ridiculous.

 

[Gary James]

The winners of the league are always at home first game the following season but what really gets me is how on many an occasion when this has happened they have been at home last game also, that is a fix it means we have had seasons where our first and last games we have been away

Yup. Even last season when they were not title holders we started and finished the season with away games and it's truly ridiculous.

Do you know why Utd were at home for the first and last games of last season?

The only people who would know for certain are the clubs involved and the people who create the fixtures. Prestwich Blue's comments about City Square seem accurate (City needed to be away to ensure the building work completion), and it may be that City asked to be away at the end because of a proposed event.

In fact.... the Wimbledon-Luton play off was staged at Eastlands on the final weekend of the season. That was probably planned/proposed before the fixtures were finalised and published.

 

[M18CTID]

Prestwich Blue has already said we had first home game, but refused it due to City Square. If we had taken that first home game, United would have been away. Makes sense to me.

Fair enough if we made the request to be away but we should have got the last game at home instead.

Well no not really, as it was our choice to not play at home first because we failed to have CS ready on time.

I don't often dispute what PB says but the one thing that's bugging me on the City Square issue is that work didn't start on it until July IIRC. The fixtures were announced weeks before that - about mid-June just like this year. No way on earth would City have known that City Square wasn't going to be ready in time at the point the fixtures were released. In fact, there were strong indications that it would be open in time for the Valencia friendly right up until a week or so before that match took place - if I'm not mistaken the club announced this on the website at some point but then the work overran and they had to put back the opening until the Liverpool match but as I say all this happened well after the fixtures were released.

 

[moomba]

FWIW,

In the last 10 years the rags have started the season at home 7 times. 5 times as champions, 2 times as non champions. They have ended the season at home 5 times, twice as champions 3 times as non champions.

Each of their 3 away starts to the season came when they were not title holders, of the 5 away ends to the season once was as the title holder.

Not sure we can complain too much about that, although it's not really fair that we get punished if you like when a team close to us wins the title.

As for their easy starts/ends to the season, they have played a promoted team first up 5 times, and ended the season against a "promoted" team once. I'd have Chelsea away in 2004/05 and Everton away in 2005/06 as their only real tough starts to the season they've had, Aston Villa (a) in 2003/04 as their only real tough finish.

I think there is something in the teams they start and the season against, although I guess everyone has got to play everyone else twice over the course of the season.

Sincerely
Anorak

 

[squirtyflower]

The winners of the league are always at home first game the following season but what really gets me is how on many an occasion when this has happened they have been at home last game also, that is a fix it means we have had seasons where our first and last games we have been away

How can it be a fix? If they win the league we HAVE to be away, that's not a fix, it's just the way it is.

How many times have scum won the league in the last seven years?

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Fair enough if we made the request to be away but we should have got the last game at home instead.

Well no not really, as it was our choice to not play at home first because we failed to have CS ready on time.

I don't often dispute what PB says but the one thing that's bugging me on the City Square issue is that work didn't start on it until July IIRC. The fixtures were announced weeks before that - about mid-June just like this year. No way on earth would City have known that City Square wasn't going to be ready in time at the point the fixtures were released. In fact, there were strong indications that it would be open in time for the Valencia friendly right up until a week or so before that match took place - if I'm not mistaken the club announced this on the website at some point but then the work overran and they had to put back the opening until the Liverpool match but as I say all this happened well after the fixtures were released.

But they knew they were going to start it well before the fixtures were planned and wanted ot make sure they had enough time to finish it for the first home game. So when the preliminary fixture list gave us a home game against Newcastle they asked for it to be changed to an away game to ensure they weren't caught out.

 

[eggbert]

we have to play everyone at home and everyone away at some point so who cares? ok i know that say we need to win the last game of the season to win the league then it would be an advantage to be at home but how about this for an idea......

lets just win all our games!!!!! home or away, norwich or chelsea, lets win!!!!!

 

[shawgorbie]

There was an article I read with all the requirements of the fixture list - for eg Us and the rags can't be at home on the same day, whree possible games will alternate between home and away, provisions for london teams, considerations for the boat race and marathons etc etc

The fixture list basically writes itself with all these rules

i remember this,it take's a bloke month's to sort out with club's who ask not to play game's at certain time's and other thing's(not all london club's to play each other at the same time etc)so basically it's bollock's that the fixture list would be out now.

 

[sweynforkbeard]

I make this bold prediction - but with some confidence:

First home - Middlesbrough Ironopolis
First away - Aberdare Athletic.