Public transport in the Manchester area (for example) finishes around 8-ish on NYE and probably the same in other areas, then in London you have 10,000's of people getting in for the fireworks.

In all cities, NYE is a huge operationfor police so none will fancy a late evening game. Neither will the clubs who have less time to recover for 2nd Jan fixtures and attendances will reduce at 5:30 on NYE, it's possibly the worst time slot you could give a game at any point in the season.

Plus many people have better things to do on NYE than watch football so viewing figures fall.

Yes, and the added bonus for the broadcasters in having a round the week before Christmas is that they could show a third game, on the Thursday, knowing that nobody was playing again until the following Monday.

Of course, Mourinho was in the papers the other day saying that Man U aren't getting any Monday night games after they've played in the Europa League on the Thursday, but of course that wouldn't be possible, because the weeks after European fixtures either have their own midweek games or are at the start of an international break, so it wouldn't be possible to play on the Monday unless both teams are already out of the League Cup (which wouldn't have been known when they picked the fixtures).


Indeed, some bizarre scheduling that season. The 28th was a very odd slot indeed, they had to cram another round in (with the season ending a little earlier because of the World Cup) but the 28th wasn't a Bank Holiday so they were all evening kick-offs, which is a bit inconvienient at Christmas*, and because everyone played on Monday and Saturday as well, everyone had to play at the same time. That's actually pretty ace from one perspective, but it was no good for Sky because it meant they could only show one match in the round. And then everyone played on the 31st, so Sky only showed one game from that round as well, at 12.45.

You're always going to struggle when Christmas is on a Sunday as you lose a whole weekend - the last time there were fixtures in England on Christmas Eve was in 1966, and Tyne Tees showed their regular highlights show the following afternoon, Christmas Day - but that was a bad compromise. Of course, the time before, 1994/95, a couple of teams played on the 26th and 27th.

* Of course a couple of the matches also got called off due to frozen pitches, I think one was Charlton vs Newcastle, which was a great match to make an evening kick-off at Christmas in the first place.

For what it's worth, my predictions for the Christmas schedule:

Friday 2 December
20.00 - West Ham v Arsenal
Sat 3
12.45 - Man City v Chelsea
17.30 - Sunderland v Leicester (BT)
Sun 4
13.30 - Crystal Palace v Hull
16.00 - Everton v Man United

Saturday 10 December
12.30 - Liverpool v West Ham
Sun 11
12.00 - Man United v Tottenham (BT)
14.15 - Southampton v Middlesbrough
16.30 - Leicester v Man City

Tuesday 13 December
19.45 - Everton v Arsenal (BT)
Wed 14
19.45 - Middlesbrough v Liverpool (BT)

Saturday 17 December
12.30 - Crystal Palace v Chelsea
17.30 - Everton v Liverpool (BT)
Sun 18
16.00 - West Brom v Man United
Mon 19
20.00 - Man City v Arsenal

Monday 26 December
12.30 - Southampton v Tottenham
15.00 - Leicester v Everton
17.30 - Man United v Sunderland
19.45 - Hull v Man City

Friday 30 December
20.00 - Liverpool v Man City
Sat 31
17.30 - Watford v Tottenham (BT, Package F)
Sun 1
13.30 - Swansea v Bournemouth
16.00 - Arsenal v Crystal Palace

Monday 2 January
12.30 - Sunderland v Liverpool
17.30 - Tottenham v Chelsea
Tue 3
20.00 - Bournemouth v Arsenal
Wed 4
20.00 - West Ham v Man United

But you know that they'll be complaining because of the gap between 31/12 and 2/1.

For what its worth I agree with TLG86 Xmas prediction in terms of games. Watford V Spurs is the only one which I would maybe change to avoid excess of Spurs.

Sky may try to get West Ham V Man Utd on Thur if they can (notwithstanding FA Cup). I think Sky would want that midweek, but difficulty of other scheduling may not mena that is possible.

In terms of other Dec games, I think Sky pass Man Utd V Spurs and the week after (with BT choosing Merseyside Derby to avoid Arsenal on 4 picks). Would mean BT on 6 first picks.

I don't know why Sky would want to show a quadruple bill of football on Boxing Day, just because they can - especially when there's the flexibility to move matches to Tuesday and Wednesday as there's no midweek fixtures. Why would they want to dump matches out of peak on Boxing Day when they can get much bigger audiences at primetime on other nights? And what fills the rest of the week? Yes, they've got darts, but what else? They've got Friday Night Football going up against the Ryder Cup next week.

And in addition I think logistically it would be totally out of the question. With four live games presumably all the commentators, presenters and reporters would have to work that day, plus every single member of their football production team. I would imagine across your average weekend quite a lot of people work on more than one game, which would be impossible here. Add to that the fact it's Boxing Day!

Actually I was reminded that the last time Boxing Day was on a Monday, in 2011, the 7.45 kick-off was still branded as Monday Night Football and presented from the MNF studio, even though the programme only ran 7.30-10pm, so they only had time for Chamberlin to point at the results and Neville pass brief comment. A brilliantly pointless bit of branding.

Could Sky do a Doube on the 26th, and another Double on the 27th seeing that the Tuesday is a Bank Holiday.

Part of me still likes the thought of all 20 clubs playing on Boxing Day, as apart from the Final Day, Boxing Day is generally the only other day which that has been done.

4 Matches in one day would be overkill, would anybody really watch 4 games.

Yes, it might be a bit much to have Spurs on three times over Christmas. If Sky do show all three, then I'd expect Sky to spread them out. So while Southampton v Spurs might not be the first game on Boxing Day, I think it will stay on Dec 26. The Watford game could be first up on Jan 1 and then Spurs v Chelsea could close out the festive fixtures on Jan 4.

I am still a little doubtful about Man Utd v Sunderland being shown. If Sky take both Everton v Man Utd and Man Utd v Spurs, I think they might have to save one more United game for later in the season. In that scenario Sky might show Arsenal v West Brom on 26/27/28 December and Middlesbrough v Leicester on Jan 2.

If I had to put money on it I think Sky will pass Man Utd v Spurs and show Man Utd v Sunderland on 26/27/28 December. You would think that Sky would be keen for Moyes to still be in charge of Sunderland come Christmas. However, if he and Sunderland have parted company come then, I really wouldn't put it past Sky to have him as a pundit for that game!

Man Utd are the key for Sky. They can show 21 games.

By Dec 1st they have shown them 7 times. Last six games are dead certs so that's 13 games. One of the games in March (Southampton/ Boro) will be shown (probably on the likely Cup QF week) so that's 14.

Man City, Leicester (as I think Sky pass that week), Liverpool, and West Ham (A) all highly probable. That's 18.

So 3 games from (you'd think): Everton A, West Brom A, Sunderland H, Stoke A, Southampton /Boro (A- one already included), West Brom (H), Sunderland (A)

BT probably take Sunderland A with a potential first pick.

Of course they could. Or they could show one on Tuesday and one on the Wednesday evening, and have them both in primetime. Nobody's playing again until at least Friday so they can stretch out. They'll have Football League games as well.


That would be nice, yes, but if you're offering up four matches from that round of fixtures, you're guaranteeing it has to be spread across a day or two.


Well, you don't have to watch all four, of course. But it's cramming extra matches in off-peak slots for little reward, and as I say logistically it seems totally impossible. We already have odd combinations of commentators and pundits on Boxing Day where they work around where people live so they don't have to travel for miles at Christmas, and they can all get a bit of time off. Add that to the sheer logistics of covering four matches, with every on-screen and off-screen role having to be duplicated four times. As I say, it would be hard enough on any day of the season, but on Boxing Day when the transport is rubbish and people want to be with their families? No chance.

My Predictions for December with picks and packages.

Sat 3rd Dec
Sat 12:30 Man City vs Chelsea (A2)
Sat 17:30 Bournemouth vs Liverpool (B3) (BT Sport)
Sun 13:30 Tottenham vs Swansea (C5)
Sun 16:00 Everton vs Man United (D1)
Mon 20:00 Middlesbrough vs Hull (E4)

Sat 10th Dec
Fri 20:00 Liverpool vs West Ham (E3)
Sat 12:30 Chelsea vs West Brom (A5)
Sun 12:00 Man United vs Tottenham (B1) (BT Sport)
Sun 14:15 Leicester vs Man City (C2)
Sun 16:30 Arsenal vs Stoke City (D4)

Tue 13th Dec
Tue 19:45 West Ham vs Burnley (BT Sport)
Wed 19:45 Everton vs Arsenal (BT Sport)

Sat 17th Dec
Sat 12:30 Everton vs Liverpool (A2)
Sat 17:30 Bournemouth vs Southampton (B5) (BT Sport)
Sun 13:30 West Ham vs Hull (C4)
Sun 16:00 Stoke City vs Leicester (D1)
Mon 20:00 Man City vs Arsenal (E3)

Mon 26th Dec
Mon 12:30 Leicester vs Everton
Mon 17:15 Hull vs Man City
Tue 17:15 Southampton vs Tottenham
Tue 20:00 Man United vs Sunderland

Sat 31st Dec
Fri 20:00 Arsenal vs Crystal Palace (E3)
Sat 12:30 Man United vs Middlesbrough (F2) (BT Sport)
Sun 13:30 Leicester vs West Ham (C4)
Sun 16:00 Liverpool vs Man City (D1)

Mon 2nd Jan
Mon 12:30 Bournemouth vs Arsenal
Mon 20:00 Tottenham vs Chelsea
Tue 19:45 West Ham vs Man United
Wed 19:45 Sunderland vs Liverpool

That's a bit left field, what's your thinking?

For News Years Day, dont you need a Club who Dwight Yorke has played for, he is normally a dead cert for New Years Day

Probably miles out, but here's my guesses:

Saturday 3rd December
12.30 Man City v Chelsea SKY (2A)
5.30 West Ham v Arsenal BT (4F)*

Sunday 4th December
12.00/1.30 Stoke v Burnley BT (3B)*
4.00 Everton v Man United SKY (1D)

*These two have swapped broadcast time due to Arsenal playing the following Tuesday in CL (package B doesn't naturally have a Sunday slot, but it's much more likely that BT would use package F for WHM-ARS and package B to ensure that quotas are reached...)


Friday 9th December
8.00 Arsenal v Stoke SKY (4E)

Saturday 10th December
5.30 Chelsea v West Brom BT (3B)

Sunday 11th December
12.00 Southampton v Middlesbrough SKY (5A)**
2.05 Leicester v Man City SKY (2C)
4.15 Man United v Tottenham SKY (1D)

** moved from Saturday 12.30 due to Southampton playing in EL

Tuesday 13th December
7.45 Everton v Arsenal BT (1F)

Wednesday 14th December
7.45 Middlesbrough v Liverpool BT (2F)


Saturday 17th December
12.30 Crystal Palace v Chelsea SKY (5A)
5.30 Everton v Liverpool BT (1B)

Sunday 18th December
1.30 West Brom v Man United SKY (2C)
4.00 Stoke v Leicester SKY (4D)

Monday 19th December
8.00 Man City v Arsenal SKY (3E)


Monday 26th December
12.30 Southampton v Tottenham SKY (2G)
5.30 Liverpool v Stoke SKY (4G)
7.45 Burnley v Middlesbrough SKY (3G)

Tuesday 27th December
7.45 Man United v Sunderland SKY (1G)


Friday 30th December
8.00 Leicester v West Ham SKY (3E)

Saturday 31st December
12.30 Southampton v West Brom SKY (5A)
5.30 Liverpool v Man City BT (1B)

Sunday 1st January 2017
1.30 Watford v Tottenham SKY (2C)
4.00 Arsenal v Crystal Palace SKY (4D)


Monday 2nd January
12.30 West Ham v Man United SKY (1G)
5.30 Middlesbrough v Leicester SKY (4G)

Tuesday 3rd January
7.45 Tottenham v Chelsea SKY (2G)

Wednesday 4th January
7.45 Bournemouth v Arsenal SKY (3G)

Last 2 rounds of Nov have no Liverpool TV games, now you are predicting no Liverpool games 1st 2 rounds in Dec, will there really be 4 rounds in a row with no Liverpool TV games given how they have started the season?

Think the earlier prediction with both their games being shown the first two weekends makes more sense...

Maybe so, but looking at the fixtures there didn't seem to be an overwhelming candidate to be chosen (especially with how poorly West Ham have started, given that the LIV-WHM game is the likeliest pick), and Liverpool will have been heavily featured in previous months (9 times. I think only Man United will have had more appearances).

OTOH, perhaps LIV-STO doesn't look so compelling for Boxing Day now either and they swap the West Ham game for it and pick (say) HULL-MCY since I don't appear to have picked any Hull games.

Nice to see One Directon (1D) coming back for special concerts at Everton v Man Utd and Man Utd v Spurs

Any idea when there were last 4 league games in a row where Liverpool weren't televised (excluding the last 6 rounds where they weren't in the title challenge?

I'd be very surprised if both Sky and BT can manage to resist not picking a Liverpool game in 4 successive rounds.

No idea. Probably the last time they played four teams in a row not worth watching

ETA: for the record, I would have picked their game at Southampton on 19th November instead of WBA-BUR...

There is method in the madness for me predicting that BT will show West Ham vs Burnley. On paper BT will want to show Middlesbrough v Liverpool and Everton v Arsenal, however Sky can add a minor annoyance to their rivals by showing Arsenal v Stoke in Pack D 4:30pm and here's why.

Bournemouth vs Leicester (Leicester play Sunday, must play Wed)
Crystal Palace vs Man United (Man U in EL, must play Wed)
Everton vs Arsenal (Arsenal play Sunday, Must play Wed
Man City vs Watford (Man City play Sunday, Must play Wed)
Middlesbrough vs Liverpool (Middlesbrough play Sunday, Must play Wed)
Stoke City vs Southampton (Southampton in EL, Must play Wed)
Sunderland vs Chelsea
Tottenham vs Hull (Tottenham play Sunday, Must play Wed)
West Brom vs Swansea
West Ham vs Burnley

With the Sky picks in place, there are only three games that can be played on the Tuesday. Sunderland vs Chelsea is a better game; it's just a question of whether BT would use a Chelsea pick when they know they've got two cast iron Chelsea picks to come in Package F (namely vs Man City and vs Liverpool). It's just a case of whether a) BT will take the risk and/or b) the PL will force Sky to move Arsenal v Stoke. These are only guesses though. Long and convoluted guesses admittedly but guesses nonetheless.

Gnun20 - very good spot. We don't know the protocol on this issue, but I reckon the PL would ensure that BT can pick whichever two midweek games they want.

We can be certain that Man Utd and Liverpool cannot play on the Tuesday night. And you're right that BT will not be picking Sunderland v Chelsea as (I think) BT have already picked Chelsea once in Package F leaving two picks for their midweek games with Liverpool and Man City.

If Sky insist on showing Arsenal on the Sunday - and there is a logic to putting it in the Sunday 16:00/16:30 slot as it would fill the Stoke quota in Package D - then I would allow BT to show Everton v Arsenal on the Thursday night. This would then restrict these two clubs to the Sunday and Monday of Week 17, but that wouldn't be a problem.

I suspect Sky won't pick Arsenal v Stoke, but it would be interesting to see what happened if they did.

I would have thought Man City v Chelsea would be in play for Friday 2nd December. The whole point of adding that fixture slot is to benefit teams playing in the Champions League and with Man City playing on the Tuesday night it would make sense.

I don't know why some of you go to lengths to waste time predicting TV games. Why not wait until they are confirmed? What do you achieve?

On another note I doubt there will be as many Leicester games as many of you say.

I'm afraid the point of adding Friday nights was not for the benefit of those in the Champions League. It was added to pad out the Monday night package so that games could be shown in weeks such as those followed by the League Cup.

What did you achieve by making that post? Or any post?

If it bothers you so much, why not just ignore the thread?