ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

The Fixture Conundrum

I must admit, there are a lot more variables that go into producing the fixture list than I'd ever considered, even though I'd often given this some thought.

It is good to see there is some fan representation when the draft fixtures are produced, but clearly with a new competition, plus an early finish to accommodate the 2010 World Cup, maybe tomorrow's published fixtures will be another exercise in hair pulling!
Matt Traynor, Singapore Posted 16/06/2009 at 05:53:14

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Dan McKie
1 Posted 16/06/2009 at 13:55:11

Even when we do get the fixture list, you can take it all with a pinch of salt as there are so many factors that change times and days every week! Nowadays, it's more of a rough guide for which weekend you will be playing what team.

Joe Barnes
2 Posted 16/06/2009 at 14:07:55

I would bet for teams like Man Utd, the fixture list is even useless as a rough guide. I’d say the tipping point has been met and it would probably be more convenient for everyone concerned to let Sky create the fixture list in the first place!

Or at least let Sky decide half of what they are to show before the fixture list is published.

Phil Bellis
3 Posted 16/06/2009 at 14:25:34

A very informative article but I still don?t understand why they can?t program:

IF 
    Distance(Everton, Northeast club) > 100 miles 
AND 
    BankHol = Yes
THEN
    buggar off and give EFC Stoke City or Burnley?

Mind you, won?t be such a problem next season...

Dan McKie
4 Posted 16/06/2009 at 14:33:24

I think they already do Joe, unless its just an amazingly convienient coincedence that the fixture computer throws up Arsenal v Chelsea & Man U v Liverpool etc. on the same weekends each season, and usually on more than one occasion, so they can bill it as there ’super no other teams exist sunday’ !

Peter Howard
5 Posted 16/06/2009 at 15:36:01

Isn’t it a misnomer to call them fixtures ?

James Kerfoot
6 Posted 16/06/2009 at 15:59:00

Liverpool at home, first game :D

Dennis Stevens
7 Posted 16/06/2009 at 16:42:21

It’d make life a lot easier if they scrapped international football & left the season clear for club fixtures. If that’s not possible or acceptable then at least it would make sense to group the fixtures together so that qualifying takes place one summer & the tournaments the following summer & scrap the meaningless friendlies.

Marco Bonfiglio
8 Posted 16/06/2009 at 20:42:57

Scrap the meaningless friendlies? But they make so much moneeeeeeee!

Joe Barnes
9 Posted 17/06/2009 at 02:20:50

Dan, I mean the fixture list is published before Sky get their grubby hands on it. Maybe they should wait until Sky have finished tinkering with it before we see the fixure list published.

Phil Bellis
10 Posted 17/06/2009 at 10:24:38

Un-fn-believable: the only Northeast club left and we go there on Boxing Day!!
I’m either a psychic or a jinx
And again we lose out on a big gate by getting Arsenal first up; the first game would have been a full house whoever we played, same for whenever we played Arsenal
Grassy knoll again

Liam Reilly
11 Posted 17/06/2009 at 11:39:02

Feb is a pretty tough month, United, the RS, Chelski & Tottenham, however if I remember correctly we had a tough end JanFeb this year too and came through pretty well.

We’ve got to play them sometime I guess.

COYBs

Brett Bradshaw
12 Posted 17/06/2009 at 11:51:32

I am quite pleased with the fixtures. I can?t see us losing 4 games in a row so I expect us to get some points out of the big guns this year. Plus Arsenal on the opening day is a winnable game.

Craig Walker
13 Posted 17/06/2009 at 14:20:45

I’m getting married on December 12th and discovered it was Chelsea away which isn’t too bad. Glad it wasn’t the derby!