the fa have a problem

[Bill]

The champions always play their first game at home I think, so we'll be away again next season.

ok fair enough but i'll guarantee it will be a promoted side, why not us or chelsea, the dippers maybe.

 

[Plain Speaking]

The champions always play their first game at home I think, so we'll be away again next season.

ok fair enough but i'll guarantee it will be a promoted side, why not us or chelsea, the dippers maybe.

I havent found any such rule there is guidance from PL as follows:
<a class="postlink" href="http://premierleague.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/15/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://premierleague.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/15/</a>
FIXTURE FACT SHEET
HOW THE PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURE LIST IS COMPILED
Season 2008/09
The compilation of the Premier League fixture list is a complex process. Matches cannot simply be fed into a computer and produced randomly by a computer programme. If only it were so straightforward! There are many factors that need to be taken into account before the computer software can do its work.
Most importantly, fixture dates can change throughout the season, so we always recommend that supporters do not book non-refundable travel or accommodation until live television selections and other factors such as Cup clashes have been settled.
Firstly, International, European and Domestic Cup games take precedence over Premier League fixtures, so the dates of these matches must be ruled out. Then the schedulers must take account of the requests made by the police regarding when certain teams should or should not play each other, and the kick-off times for some of the matches. Many teams are ‘paired’ with another, for example where grounds are in close proximity and a clash of home fixtures would put an impossible strain on local services. So for instance Everton and Liverpool will not play at home on the same day.
To add to the complications, the ‘pairings’ extend across the Football League as well. An illustration of this is that in the West Midlands, the Police and Clubs request that wherever possible, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers play at home when Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion are away. In London, the Metropolitan Police area covers 12 Clubs spread across the Premier League and all divisions of the Football League and so the ‘pairing’ situation becomes even more elaborate. There are a total of 92 different policing restrictions, clearly too numerous to mention here. However, some examples would be that matches involving Chelsea and Fulham are affected by the Boat Race, the Great North Run affects matches in the North East, and matches cannot take place in Liverpool on the day of the Grand National. Consideration is also given to rival supporters and the routes they may travel, so that where possible rival supporters do not travel the same route.
There are also a number of Premier League rules involving matters such as the sequencing of matches. For example:
Wherever possible no Club should have more than two successive home fixtures or two successive away fixtures (excluding Cup draws). All Clubs should have an alternating sequence of home and away Saturday fixtures at both the beginning and end of the season. A Club that has an away fixture on Boxing Day will have a home fixture on New Year’s Day and vice versa. Each Club should have an equal number of home and away Bank Holiday fixtures, assuming an even number are scheduled. The distance of journeys to away fixtures on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day should be minimised wherever possible in order to lessen inconvenience to travelling supporters. Clubs participating in the UEFA Cup will be playing on Thursday nights, and will have the option of moving Saturday games to Sundays. Where possible these matches should therefore be home fixtures.
All these various factors mean that it is almost impossible to create a schedule that meets all the requirements laid down by the relevant authorities. The fixture compilers attempt to minimise the number of problems and ensure that no one Club, League or set of supporters is unduly penalised. Once the factors have been fed into the system, a sequencing company uses a sophisticated software system that can produce a number of solutions to the various fixture complications. This process takes a number of days.
When a draft schedule is produced the schedulers then consult with the Fixtures Working Party, which is made up of representatives from Clubs across the Leagues and from the supporters’ organisations. The final stage is a consultation meeting with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the British Transport Police. Fixture lists are then produced for the Premier League and the Football League.
Once this process is complete, there are then a number of factors which can change the dates on which the games can be played as the season progresses. The first changes take place when the television companies select the first group of games that they would like to screen live. This usually happens within 2 weeks of the original list coming out. At around the same time, the Clubs that are playing in Europe will examine the list and see if there are any games which need to move to accommodate the demands of European matches. Regarding Cup competitions, whilst the dates for the initial rounds of the various Cups can be avoided from the start, once teams progress to the later rounds of competitions, then their League fixtures need to be altered. Whenever fixtures are rearranged this is always done in consultation with the local police.
For further updates to the fixture list please visit premierleague.com
and also at PL website:
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.premierleague.com/page/ContactUs/0,,12306,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.premierleague.com/page/Conta ... 06,00.html</a>
How is the fixture list compiled?
Fixture planning is a complex process and to ensure fairness, a computerised system is used to determine the vast majority of the fixtures. However there are many factors that need to be taken into account before this computerised system can compile the fixture list successfully. Fixtures can only be set once dates for other competitions have been confirmed, e.g. the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and Champions League, and this can make it difficult to find slots for some games. In addition there are exceptions when clubs or local authorities make specific requests if, for example, a major event is being held in the city on that day and a police force requests that a club has an away fixture. For these reasons it is important to note that fixture dates can change throughout the season. We will always try to give at least four weeks notice when fixtures move and recommend that supporters do not book no- refundable travel or accommodation until live television selections and other factors such as cup matches have been settled.

You may be aware, the European Commission determined that we must provide 138 matches for live TV coverage; this further limits our ability to schedule fixtures as and when we would want during the season. We are also committed to ensuring that the 'closed window' is preserved - that is, that games are not shown live on television at 3pm on a Saturday - to protect attendances and participation at all levels of the game. Additionally we have to ensure that the police will allow us to stage a match at a certain time. Unfortunately this means that some matches may have to be moved at late notice.
For further information, please see the attached fixture list fact sheet.
The fixtures for the 20010/11 season will be confirmed in mid June 2010, with the first set of television fixtures announced approximately two weeks later.
Once confirmed all fixtures will be published on our website. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.premierleague.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.premierleague.com</a>

No mention that I can see of "champions playing first match at home"

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

I have a funny feeling we will end up starting the season away to Everton and there is nothing random about it.

 

[Project]

Regardless of rules, it's out of order that we consistently start and end the season away from home, with United starting and ending at Old Trafford.

 

[Any1aBlue]

Agent Bernstein has it all in hand. Fret not.

and that ends YET another silly post.........................are there any controls over who posts what here, as sifting through the utter tripe is pretty annoying, especially as it seems to be from the same authors?

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

Regardless of rules, it's out of order that we consistently start and end the season away from home, with United starting and ending at Old Trafford.

What will end up happening is they will start to think thats their right......

 

[laserblue]

I have a funny feeling we will end up starting the season away to Everton and there is nothing random about it.

that would suit me. everton are routinely shit at the beginning of the season.

 

[Rammyblues]

I am reliably informed that a knight of the realm is invited to view the fixture list before it is published and he decides the final outcome.

 

[DontLookBackInAnger]

I am reliably informed that a knight of the realm is invited to view the fixture list before it is published and he decides the final outcome.

All managers, clubs and police see it before its approved.

 

[clowns pockets]

Regardless of rules, it's out of order that we consistently start and end the season away from home, with United starting and ending at Old Trafford.

couldn't give a fuck tbh