08/10/2015

M.U.S.T. response to fixture rearrangements for TV

In response to press enquiries regarding the fixture rearrangements for TV a spokesman for M.U.S.T. - the Manchester United Supporters' Trust said:

"Unfortunately fixture rearrangements are an inevitable consequence of the TV deal but the tail should not be allowed to wag the dog. The problem is football clubs in England, unlike the top clubs in Germany and Spain, no longer have any regulations which distinguish them from any ordinary company so pursuit of profit for the owners takes precedence over fans and indeed everything else."

"Given the huge increase in TV revenue which directly results in these fixture rearrangements causing inconvenience to fans, the very least Premier League clubs should agree to is to cap the price of away tickets at £20 as proposed by The FSF Twenty's Plenty campaign which is supported by M.U.S.T. along with fan groups throughout the Premier League. Home ticket pricing also needs to be looked at as there are fans at all PL clubs who travel considerable distances for home games too."

"Additionally greater effort should be made to avoid rearranging fixtures for long trips to away games at times when travel is difficult such as Bank Holidays, Sundays and weekday evenings. In the cases where this is unavoidable it would seem reasonable for the PL clubs to fund special trains to minimise inconvenience and expense for their most loyal supporters"