Why Manchester United are playing Fulham at 7pm on Sunday
Manchester United play Fulham in the Premier League at the unusual kick-off time of 7pm on Sunday night.
Typically the last game on Sunday is a 4.30pm kick-off and this week we will see Aston Villa host West Ham in that slot.
But United and Fulham will be the final game this Sunday due to a change in schedule.
The fixture was picked by TNT Sports as part of their coverage and would normally be played at 12.30pm on Saturday.
However, that slot will come too soon for United following their 2-1 win over Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
An alternative of 12.30pm on Sunday was proposed but Premier League sides believe a 72-hour recovery period is required for their players, therefore United have agreed to a 7pm kick-off time instead.
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Last month, Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Brentford and Southampton’s 5-0 defeat at home to Tottenham both kicked off at 7pm on a Sunday for similar reasons.
The decision to host Premier League matches at 7pm on a Sunday has been criticised by The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).
‘The Sunday evening kick-off slot is really unpopular with match-goers as public transport options are limited and it’s no good for families with young kids,’ a spokesperson for the FSA said.
‘When the general slot was announced the Premier League told us it was a ‘contingency’ — but it seems to be getting used an awful lot for such a provision.
‘A big part of the problem is allowing broadcasters to choose ‘conditional’ picks which are then moved when a team progresses in Europe.
‘The Premier League puts broadcasters first by allowing them to select such games knowing full well conditional picks are very likely to be rescheduled again.’
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