Premier League Fixtures (2014/15)

[Fredo]

I got tickets for the last home game of the season already.

[G]

I thought I read it was approx 2 weeks after fixtures were released. Just need to keep checking as I need to book flights.

Hoping out first match is moved to Sunday, but unlikely.

It's usually around the time if the first members sale, last year the members sale was a couple of days before it, hopefully not the case this year. I've got a membership this year so hoping to go to a few games.

[Liverpool]

It's all randomised. I can't see anyone at the FA pick and choose games every year.

Its not completely random, theres never a big game first or last day. Sky pick some of the groupings, remember the traditional top 4, we used to play Chelsea the same day as Arsenal/United etc. Then theres the Christmas period, they try to set up fixtures where theres good transport links between the clubs, or pick local-ish games. Then someone probably hits the random button.

[Liverpool]

or all this

"I don't think people realise what goes into it," says the Football League fixtures officer, Paul Snellgrove. "They think names go into a hat and it's almost like a draw. Because it's so difficult to explain it's hard to keep people's attention."

A laborious process that begins four years ahead of each season, when Fifa and Uefa set out their international schedules, goes through a raft of complex stages before the final fixture list is signed off.

Presumably those trusted with deciding when supporters must travel the length of the country on a cold midweek night, or with a blasting hangover on New Year's Day, then go and shelter in a dark room for a long, long time.

Glenn Thompson of the IT company Atos Origin is the man responsible for inputting all the data into the famed "fixtures computer", but before he does so the Football League, Premier League, Football Association and the Football Supporters' Federation undergo a series of discussions alongside the clubs, starting when a draft schedule is first proposed in November of the previous year.

Most fans understand that each club is paired with another and their fixtures will usually correspond. For example, when Manchester United play a home match, Manchester City play away. The same rules apply for Everton and Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham and other neighbouring teams.

It is easier to pair clubs if they are in the same division, with Swansea City and Cardiff City reunited in that respect next season, and the fixture organisers work closely with police forces across England and Wales to ensure matchdays do not stretch resources too thin.

There are fixture compilation rules, such as that over a course of five matches a club must have no more than three home or away games. If a team plays at home on Boxing Day it must travel on New Year's Day and vice versa.

Organisers try to schedule midweek matches in "good weather periods" and attempt to give clubs a home match either before of after an FA Cup tie, so as to avoid three successive away games and tricky financial situations for lower-league sides.

However, things can easily become complicated and changing one fixture has a series of knock-on effects to other games on the calendar. Policing, transport and requests from clubs make scheduling an incredibly detailed and tedious task.

For example, Greater Manchester police has to consider eight clubs on their patch each weekend. Four must play home and four away, yet there is also the fact that Bury request that they play home games when Manchester United are not in action so as to boost their attendance.

GMP also has to avoid potentially fiery fixtures when events such as the Conservative Party conference and Gay Pride weekend are in town. The Premier League and Football League also try to avoid big games on the opening day of the season and on occasions such as Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

The draft schedule is tweaked and sent out to all clubs in March, with a form asking them to respond with any specific requests. "It's very rare that we get a blank form back," admits Snellgrove, but not all can be accommodated - Birmingham City asked if they could have a home game next season on 19 April to celebrate Trevor Francis's birthday but the League could sadly not oblige, although the schedule does take into consideration the Nottingham Goose Fair and the Shrewsbury Flower Show.

"Glenn does a lot of prep work manually and will feed it into the computer," says Snellgrove. "Each club gets a space on a grid which dictates their home and away sequence. He splits the season into sections, mini-leagues, the season is basically a set of 10 mini-leagues and they will reverse out at some stage. Each club within that mini league gets either a positive or negative polarity and that will dictate their order of home and away games.

"There are clash dates, which is where in order to re-mix the home and away clubs, to make sure everyone plays each other, Glenn has to make them clash. Sometimes they'll both be away which is fine, sometimes they'll both be at home and we recognise this can be a problem so we make early contact with the clubs. Nine times out of 10 the police will move one to a Sunday or a Friday night, now and again they'll do them on the same day."

The process will be completed over the weekend when Thompson, Snellgrove and others involved put the finishing touches to the schedule. Soon, though, it will be time to start on next season.

[RedReet]

It's usually around the time if the first members sale, last year the members sale was a couple of days before it, hopefully not the case this year. I've got a membership this year so hoping to go to a few games.

Just checked, LFC released tickets on 10/07/14, Sky announced on 11/07/14 so you're right.

Hope it's the other way round this year as I've already sorted my tickets but need to know what flights to book and don't want prices increasing further once the club release our tickets.

It really is such a nuisance trying to organise getting over for a game now without it costing an absolute fortune.

[G]

Yeah it is, nobody gives a rats arse about fans having to make plans. Even flights into Manchester seem to be extortionate these days. Flying into Birmingham and train up seems to be the cheapest way now aside from the epic marathon that is the boat.

[RedReet]

Yeah it is, nobody gives a rats arse about fans having to make plans. Even flights into Manchester seem to be extortionate these days. Flying into Birmingham and train up seems to be the cheapest way now aside from the epic marathon that is the boat.

Never considered Birmingham. I might consider Leeds & Bradford in future as I could potentially stop off in Burnley.

Liverpool flights I was gonna take a risk on before fixtures were announced are more than trebled already. Will break my heart if I do end up going for them after the fixture changes. Have to hope match gets changed to Sunday.

Where you flying from, Dublin?

[greenbloodred]

Yeah it is, nobody gives a rats arse about fans having to make plans. Even flights into Manchester seem to be extortionate these days. Flying into Birmingham and train up seems to be the cheapest way now aside from the epic marathon that is the boat.

Never considered Birmingham. I might consider Leeds & Bradford in future as I could potentially stop off in Burnley.

Liverpool flights I was gonna take a risk on before fixtures were announced are more than trebled already. Will break my heart if I do end up going for them after the fixture changes. Have to hope match gets changed to Sunday.

Where you flying from, Dublin?

Dublin to Blackpool another route worth considering. A few lads i know went that way for a game last season and shared the return taxi expense between them, worked out fine for them cost wise

[RedReet]

Dublin to Blackpool another route worth considering. A few lads i know went that way for a game last season and shared the return taxi expense between them, worked out fine for them cost wise

Blackpool would be a handy airport for us for certain matches, just not many flights from Belfast which is why I haven't flew there before. Didn't think about Dublin though, so will have to check that out.

The Birmingham option is pretty cheap though, looking a front runner if the Southampton match goes ahead on Saturday.

[G]

Yeah flying from Dublin. Even when fixtures are announced Birmingham will be cheap. For example for the last home game last season the flight and train combined return fare was €80. Train leaves direct from the airport into lime St. The main issue with it is the return flight times can be awkward depending on what time the game is at if you're doing a day trip.

[greenbloodred]

Yeah flying from Dublin. Even when fixtures are announced Birmingham will be cheap. For example for the last home game last season the flight and train combined return fare was €80. Train leaves direct from the airport into lime St. The main issue with it is the return flight times can be awkward depending on what time the game is at if you're doing a day trip.

I did the day trip via Birmingham to a game last season, 3pm ko, left Lime st approx 5.30pm, got to New St Birm in what i thought was good time, changed to International station, shuttle from there to airport terminal, got to security and there was a massive queue, and this was 20 mins prior to my departure to Dub . I went to an airport staff member and as soon as he saw my Liverpool scarf he gleefully boasted 'top of the league mate, top of the league!' Told him i was going to Dublin and he fast tracked me through security . Even then i had to run flat out to the departure gate with the sweat bucketing out of me and quite literally made it with a minute to spare! Had a right smug grin on me though when i boarded as the flight was full of Villa and Leeds fans who had seen their teams beaten that day

[Liverpool]

Are the tele fixtures out tomorrow?

[RedReet]

Are the tele fixtures out tomorrow?

I was told 15th or 16th, but there is talk it could be tomorrow. Where did you hear it was tomorrow?

[Liverpool]

Overheard on the train Something about us being on BT on the opening day and away to City on a Monday, probably nonsense.

[RedReet]

Aye, heard that about City too. I expect our first match to be on TV, but if it is BT Sport, f*cks up my plans for going over.