Apologies for the this question as I'm sure its been answered before...

Why do BT have two games this weekend?

BT have 36 weekend games in 33 weekend rounds, so that's at least three weekends with two games. As it happens they've got five weekends with two games (5, 11, 13, 15 and 22) meaning that there will be two weekends with no BT game.

Thank you.
Interesting how they've played this.

They took a Liverpool game (a very entertaining one as it turned out) the weekend before the champions league. followed up by in my opinion the 2 best games of the weekend. Which leads into an international break. Good planning. BT getting cuter?

Well, this is going off the point a bit now, because it's pre-Premier League, but it was sometimes the case. In 1989 there were no matches on Saturday 23rd apart from Liverpool vs Man U which had been rescheduled from an earlier round by request of ITV. That was the bizarre scenario we've mentioned before whereby ITV requested to show it live on the Friday, the Football League refused, and it was played at 12.30 on the Saturday and ITV showed the whole thing on an hour's delay and didn't have to pay for it because it counted as highlights.

Also way back in 1979 I think all but five matches were played on the Friday before Christmas instead of the Saturday, ostensibly because that was such a poor day for attendances because of Christmas shopping. One of the few matches that took place on the Saturday was Man U vs Forest and I've actually got the programme for that match, where they explain that the Football League gave everyone the option of playing on the Friday but Man U decided to stick with the Saturday because they felt it would inconvenience their fans, especially those who regularly travelled from Ireland and so on. Funnily enough ATV covered that match, because there were no Midlands teams at home on the Saturday.


Of course, this isn't the first time the secondary rights holder has had two matches a weekend, Setanta and ESPN had it quite frequently in the 2007-10 package when they had Saturday teatime and Monday night rights.

That package included a handful of Sunday 1.30pm games too.

Well if Judio is right about the radio broadcasts indicating the Package F and G games, I'd say not particularly. I'd have thought one priority for BT would have been to ensure each of the eight weekend Package F games featured a Big 6 team. They could have had Palace v West Ham as a Package B game.

And irrespective of the radio theory, assuming BT have saved a Package F pick for Chelsea v Man City, then BT are on four picks for Chelsea in Package B. So if Sky pass Chelsea v Arsenal, and BT take it, then Sky could pass first pick in Week 33 (Man Utd v Chelsea). That said, the lack of big Chelsea games at the weekend might mean that BT think Sky will want Chelsea v Arsenal.

Setanta had 46 games more than BT now that was 1/3 of games BT only have 1/4

Assuming those 2 weekends will be FA Cup Quarter final weekend in March where they will have 2 FA Cup ties to show and then the last day of the season where I imagine they will have their Score show on.

Regarding Sunday's football.
I notice Swansea V Man Utd is a 3pm kick off. I thought games even if not on UK tv had to kick off at one of the TV kick off times (eg 12.00, 2.15 or 4.30 this Sunday)

Been discussed on earlier pages

Now we know its not the FA Cup then it must be as follows

International TV wanted the 430 Slot so they would not clash with Liverpool who are playing at 215

Welsh Police said no to late match so rather than 215 they have met half way at 300

So only half an hour of the Man United game clashes on TV

This, of course, is pure conjecture.

Thank you.
Swansea / UTD kicked off at 4pm last year, why would the police object to just half an hour later?

Do you have any evidence or a source for this information?

Of course not

It is purely discussion on a forum

So why answer a question that someone has asked, as though you are actually posting factual information?

Because everything I post you will find fault with anyway ??

I'm not the only one who finds fault with your posts.

Sorry I did not realise you were the school teacher

Just caught up on the thread. I think radio link seems a strong one, well spotted.

Intuitively I still think picks 1 to 4 should be played. Couldn't man city v Southampton game be from Mon pack? No Mon as league cup, no Fri as europa?

Yes that is possible
It also fills Man City as a quota for the package !!

And it allows Southampton v Everton to be Package G and Watford v Stoke to be Package D.

Been Watching Soccer Saturday, Im not if the viewing figures drop on a international weekend because of No Premier League or Championship fixtures.

Or if it is because of Julian Warren, he seems to just drone off in one tone

Surely that is not a question that needs to be asked.

Also Warren is a perfectly competent presenter but he's obviously no Jeff Stelling- few are.

When are the February TV games normally announced

Should be out around 17th December.