There's only three round of fixtures in May. They will wait as late as possible before picking the games, they will want to see who will be in the relegation fight ect.
There's only three round of fixtures in May. They will wait as late as possible before picking the games, they will want to see who will be in the relegation fight ect.
They don't announce the final days matches until after the penultimate weekend of the season.
Ian.
Must be pretty soon. It was 5 weeks until the fixtures on Saturday. I was expecting them over the international break. I'd have thought they'd come before next weekend's matches.
Sky can surely show the presentation seperately to picking a Manchester United match for it.
Now that Manchester United are out of the FA Cup the FA Cup Semi Final weekend of 13th/14th April is free for Sky to show the Manchester United match away to Stoke. Had Manchester United got through to the semi final the match against Stoke would have been rearranged, by which time the title may have already being won, and then it wouldn't have been shown. Now its certain to be shown.
Manchester City v WBA has being picked for Sky which was orignally on FA Cup Semi Final weekend. I expect this to be dropped as Manchester United will have won the league by then, giving Sky some extra flexibility. I realise in the earlier thread mlt11 you said it wouldn't be dropped but the league title at the time you said it was much closer then, than it is now.
Wigan v Swansea has been rearranged for Tuesday 7th May. I reckon that might be picked.
So to sum up, currently Sky have 9 matches left to pick, ESPN 1.
Sky will show the resceduled Chelsea v Tottenham match whenever its played. But I think they will drop the Manchester City v WBA match. They will replace this with the resceduled Wigan v Swansea game. This keeps the Sky 9 ESPN 1 for the last 3 weekends.
ESPN have the FA Cup Final on week 37, so will use up their last ever game on week 36.
Sky will go 3-3-3 or 3-4-2 for 36, 37, and 38, with the midweek bonuses of Wigan v Swansea and Chelsea v Tottenham. Obviously the last fixtures will be chosen after every team has played 37 games.
So week 36 (in no particular order)
Liverpool v Everton
Manchester United v Chelsea
Sunderland v Stoke (this I think will be on ESPN.)
Norwich v Aston Villa
Week 37:
Aston Villa v Chelsea
Arsenal v Wigan
Stoke v Tottenham
(if a 4th match is picked then Sunderland v Southampton)
This leaves 2 or 3 matches for the final day.
Of course Aston Villa v Chelsea and Arsenal v Wigan are subject to the FA Cup Final.
And 3 would be available to Skys own customers, so concerns about BT and Top-Up TV wouldn't bother Sky. The majority of Sky Sports customers watch it from the Sky platform. They have shown 3 matches on the final day of the season before.
The answer is it therefore depends on what happens in the football season. I certainly think there will be at least 3 matches on the final day with something on them though.
Would Sky prioritise the battle for 3rd/4th over the fight to avoid relegation on the last day?
Chelsea v Everton, Newcastle v Arsenal and Tottenham v Sunderland could be the final day picks if they do. Personally, I would focus on the relegation battle.
Obviously it depends on the table - there may only be 2 teams competing for 4th and 2 teams competing for remaining in the Premier League. Or there could be 3-4 teams in each battle.
I know it wouldn't happen but could Sky show 4-5 games on the last day in theory?
League title (which will be won)
Relegation places
Battle for 4th (enter into champions league)
Battle for 3rd (enter into group stages of the champions league)
Battle for 5th (enter into Europa League)
Would Sky prioritise the battle for 3rd/4th over the fight to avoid relegation on the last day?
Chelsea v Everton, Newcastle v Arsenal and Tottenham v Sunderland could be the final day picks if they do. Personally, I would focus on the relegation battle.
When second spot was up for grabs in 2006, I think the race for the Champions League places were shown as we didn't know what order teams would finish in. And the relegation fate was already decided.
Think it was Manchester United v Charlton as the main game, Portsmouth v Liverpool on the red button and Arsenal v Wigan on SS3, but that game was obviously going to be picked for sentimental reasons, being the last game at Highbury.
QPR and Reading look down and out so Villa's clash with Wigan is likely to be televised. Then it's a toss up between Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea.
When will Chelsea's game against Spurs be shown by the way?
Liverpool v Everton
Manchester United v Chelsea
Sunderland v Stoke (this I think will be on ESPN.)
Norwich v Aston Villa
In the scenario you have here, ESPN would definitely take QPR-Arsenal or Tottenham-Southampton due to the presence of two teams fighting for something (plus Arsenal and Spurs are a big draw).
Would Sky prioritise the battle for 3rd/4th over the fight to avoid relegation on the last day?
Chelsea v Everton, Newcastle v Arsenal and Tottenham v Sunderland could be the final day picks if they do. Personally, I would focus on the relegation battle.
Definately three matches as they could show all 3 teams chasing a top 4 or three matches from the relegation battle.
I'm pretty sure the relegation battle comes first, but as I mentioned on the other thread, with the calibre of games on the final day (specifically Chelsea-Everton and Newcastle-Arsenal), Sky will hope that the relegation battle is settled on the penultimate weekend so they can pick these attractive games.
I'd almost be tempted to leave out Liverpool V Everton to be honest but don't expect it to happen.
I'd go 4 on the penultimate weekend - especially considering there's a chance Aston Villa V Chelsea and Arsenal V Wigan will both need to be rearranged.
My choices would be:
Man United V Chelsea
QPR V Arsenal
Sunderland V Stoke
Arsenal V Wigan
Aston Villa V Chelsea
Sunderland V Southampotn
Stoke V Tottenham
That leaves 3 for the final day, unless they show Man City V West Brom/Wigan V Swansea. Depending on how things are looking, I'd probably take the Wigan V Swansea game and then just have 2 on the final day - but presumably they can decide on whether to show Wigan V Swansea much nearer the time.
I'd almost be tempted to leave out Liverpool V Everton to be honest but don't expect it to happen.
I'd go 4 on the penultimate weekend - especially considering there's a chance Aston Villa V Chelsea and Arsenal V Wigan will both need to be rearranged.
My choices would be:
Man United V Chelsea
QPR V Arsenal
Sunderland V Stoke
Arsenal V Wigan
Aston Villa V Chelsea
Sunderland V Southampotn
Stoke V Tottenham
That leaves 3 for the final day, unless they show Man City V West Brom/Wigan V Swansea. Depending on how things are looking, I'd probably take the Wigan V Swansea game and then just have 2 on the final day - but presumably they can decide on whether to show Wigan V Swansea much nearer the time.
Its one of the biggest games in the PL season!
Saying you'd leave it out is frankly ludicrous.
When second spot was up for grabs in 2006, I think the race for the Champions League places were shown as we didn't know what order teams would finish in. And the relegation fate was already decided.
Think it was Manchester United v Charlton as the main game, Portsmouth v Liverpool on the red button and Arsenal v Wigan on SS3, but that game was obviously going to be picked for sentimental reasons, being the last game at Highbury
That was a terrible choice in that year, because while second place was theoretically up for grabs it involved Man U having to lose at home to Charlton, which wasn't going to happen. They didn't show Liverpool on the red button, they just showed the goals. And the difference between second and third place was minimal anyway, you had to play a Champions League qualifier but so what?
The real battle on the final day was between Arsenal and Spurs to finish fourth, and I was staggered when West Ham vs Spurs, the lasagne game, where they could have gone fourth with a win, wasn't shown at all. It should have been Arsenal as the main game (especially as all the ceremonial hoopla was chucked away) and Spurs as the second game. Man U's match was such a non-event. A dreadful selection by Sky.
If they shown 3 matches on the final day, one would have to be behind the red button.
AS theres also Test match cricket from Lords, and the final of the Rome Masters on that day, and as Murray is now 2nd in the world, i imagine Sky would be less thing, in showing that behind any red button
Even if theres 2 games one will have to be on SS3 or SS4, anyway as England international cricket, has to be shown on SS1 or SS2, and with the main match guaranteed to be on SS1 the cricket will go to SS2..
Comments
They don't announce the final days matches until after the penultimate weekend of the season.
Ian.
The Chelsea v Tottenham match can be played on Wednesday 8th May.
If they pick R37 before that then there are going to be provisional games etc which will complicate the matter so easier to wait.
Plus of course by then the title may be decided and it will be more clear cut what the key games are.
Now that Manchester United are out of the FA Cup the FA Cup Semi Final weekend of 13th/14th April is free for Sky to show the Manchester United match away to Stoke. Had Manchester United got through to the semi final the match against Stoke would have been rearranged, by which time the title may have already being won, and then it wouldn't have been shown. Now its certain to be shown.
Manchester City v WBA has being picked for Sky which was orignally on FA Cup Semi Final weekend. I expect this to be dropped as Manchester United will have won the league by then, giving Sky some extra flexibility. I realise in the earlier thread mlt11 you said it wouldn't be dropped but the league title at the time you said it was much closer then, than it is now.
Wigan v Swansea has been rearranged for Tuesday 7th May. I reckon that might be picked.
That is correct
Sky will show the resceduled Chelsea v Tottenham match whenever its played. But I think they will drop the Manchester City v WBA match. They will replace this with the resceduled Wigan v Swansea game. This keeps the Sky 9 ESPN 1 for the last 3 weekends.
ESPN have the FA Cup Final on week 37, so will use up their last ever game on week 36.
Sky will go 3-3-3 or 3-4-2 for 36, 37, and 38, with the midweek bonuses of Wigan v Swansea and Chelsea v Tottenham. Obviously the last fixtures will be chosen after every team has played 37 games.
So week 36 (in no particular order)
Liverpool v Everton
Manchester United v Chelsea
Sunderland v Stoke (this I think will be on ESPN.)
Norwich v Aston Villa
Week 37:
Aston Villa v Chelsea
Arsenal v Wigan
Stoke v Tottenham
(if a 4th match is picked then Sunderland v Southampton)
This leaves 2 or 3 matches for the final day.
Of course Aston Villa v Chelsea and Arsenal v Wigan are subject to the FA Cup Final.
Depends what issues need to be resolved but at the rate things are going 2 would probably be enough.
Also your concern is probably not a concern for Sky.
The answer is it therefore depends on what happens in the football season. I certainly think there will be at least 3 matches on the final day with something on them though.
Chelsea v Everton, Newcastle v Arsenal and Tottenham v Sunderland could be the final day picks if they do. Personally, I would focus on the relegation battle.
Definately three matches as they could show all 3 teams chasing a top 4 or three matches from the relegation battle.
Obviously it depends on the table - there may only be 2 teams competing for 4th and 2 teams competing for remaining in the Premier League. Or there could be 3-4 teams in each battle.
I know it wouldn't happen but could Sky show 4-5 games on the last day in theory?
League title (which will be won)
Relegation places
Battle for 4th (enter into champions league)
Battle for 3rd (enter into group stages of the champions league)
Battle for 5th (enter into Europa League)
Think it was Manchester United v Charlton as the main game, Portsmouth v Liverpool on the red button and Arsenal v Wigan on SS3, but that game was obviously going to be picked for sentimental reasons, being the last game at Highbury.
QPR and Reading look down and out so Villa's clash with Wigan is likely to be televised. Then it's a toss up between Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea.
When will Chelsea's game against Spurs be shown by the way?
In the scenario you have here, ESPN would definitely take QPR-Arsenal or Tottenham-Southampton due to the presence of two teams fighting for something (plus Arsenal and Spurs are a big draw).
I'm pretty sure the relegation battle comes first, but as I mentioned on the other thread, with the calibre of games on the final day (specifically Chelsea-Everton and Newcastle-Arsenal), Sky will hope that the relegation battle is settled on the penultimate weekend so they can pick these attractive games.
I'd go 4 on the penultimate weekend - especially considering there's a chance Aston Villa V Chelsea and Arsenal V Wigan will both need to be rearranged.
My choices would be:
Man United V Chelsea
QPR V Arsenal
Sunderland V Stoke
Arsenal V Wigan
Aston Villa V Chelsea
Sunderland V Southampotn
Stoke V Tottenham
That leaves 3 for the final day, unless they show Man City V West Brom/Wigan V Swansea. Depending on how things are looking, I'd probably take the Wigan V Swansea game and then just have 2 on the final day - but presumably they can decide on whether to show Wigan V Swansea much nearer the time.
Its one of the biggest games in the PL season!
Saying you'd leave it out is frankly ludicrous.
That was a terrible choice in that year, because while second place was theoretically up for grabs it involved Man U having to lose at home to Charlton, which wasn't going to happen. They didn't show Liverpool on the red button, they just showed the goals. And the difference between second and third place was minimal anyway, you had to play a Champions League qualifier but so what?
The real battle on the final day was between Arsenal and Spurs to finish fourth, and I was staggered when West Ham vs Spurs, the lasagne game, where they could have gone fourth with a win, wasn't shown at all. It should have been Arsenal as the main game (especially as all the ceremonial hoopla was chucked away) and Spurs as the second game. Man U's match was such a non-event. A dreadful selection by Sky.
apparently its in the contract sky have to show the presentation
AS theres also Test match cricket from Lords, and the final of the Rome Masters on that day, and as Murray is now 2nd in the world, i imagine Sky would be less thing, in showing that behind any red button