What ever happenned to the early mid week games?

[bonzosbeard]

This is a particular bug bear of mine. In years gone by I'm certain that we started a top flight season with a Sat/Wed/Sat/Wed scenario, at least for the first four games.

We got told that we have to have cup final day at 5pm because of the fixture congestion but we basically play twelve games now at the start only on Saturday. There is plenty of opportunity here to ease the fixture backlog later in the season. Is it just me that thinks this as I have not read it elsewhere or from any journalists.

This was also one of the delights of being in the championship, constant league football during the week.

[sendô]

Yeah I seem to remember the season used to start with a weekend then a midweek game. Kind of so that the season could get going properly.

It would make more sense given the way certain manager moan about fixture congestion late in the season to take advantage of the empty midweek slots early on. Then again it is funny watching Wenger bemoan his own team successes.

[61dicksey]

It is probably another Sky/ ESPN Tv driven decision lets face it they run top flight football now.

[beckton]

During the first few weeks of the season you have the early rounds of the league cup and qualifying rounds for the Europa and Champions League. There's most likely an international week in there too.

I expect it's pretty difficult to fit in a full midweek league programme around all that.

[harry]

Used to be home/away on the Saturday, then the next 2 games would be reverse, of which 1 one would be midweek, much preferred that, and looking at our fixture list, because of the England games, there does appear to be a few blanks until December and then January!

Am I also right in seeing that we do not appear to have any home Premier league games?

[Jabsco79]

Being an old git I do miss the schedule of the old days; if you played at home on the opening Saturday this was followed by two away games on the Wednesday and the Saturday before the straightforward alternating each Saturday kicked in. IIRC a league table was not produced until after three games unlike the ridiculous sight of a 'table' after one game.

Guess I also miss this schedule as in the early 80's we usually did alright in our early midweek games e.g. the famous 4-0 at White Hart Lane on the first midweek game of 81/82 and IIRC in 82/83 we won our first four games and also remember the 3-1 over QPR in the first week of 85/86.

Spoilt now by the occasional England friendly two weeks into the season or a qualifier of some kind which brings everything to a halt and the league season basically is all over the place these days.

[bonzosbeard]

thanks guys, I think at least one midweek game early doors makes things more interesting and gets rid of fixtures later in the season. Also if you are on holiday, its 3 trips to the pub over 8 days .

[bubbles1966]

They cut the league from 22 teams to 20.