They're great for me I get to watch the game at a reasonable hour 10-45pm. But why so many, that's the last three games. Is it crowd trouble related or TV related. I'd be pissed off if I was a United fan travelling up from Torbay or somewhere.
Early kick offs
- Thread starter ManUinOz
- Start date
What happened to the good ole days when every match kicked-off at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. I hate these early morning starts, I prefer it to be a LIVE game at Friday night.
I hate it. 5 out of the last 6 Prem games i've had to get up at 3.30 
For those of us here in the US ( and even some on the west coast) it is really early. 7 am eastern, 4 am pacific. This is really hard when you have been, many times, working until late in the evening. Thing is, I pay quite a bit for the pay perview package. To have FSW is not that much, but when you add it up, I feel guilty if I don't get up early to watch the match. The ppv matches come on at 10 am ususally so that is not so bad.
4 of the 5 early kick-offs have been free, so at least it's saving me money on ppv.
Well, while I don't get FSW free, the last few matches United have played have been cheaper. That is a good thing.
I feckin' hate these early kickoffs, I almost slept through this one! Thank God my Inner United are Playing Alarm Clock went off.
I hate them. In Mexico they dont air it until 3 hours later but if its at 3 o clock it is live.
4.15pm in dubai so it's Ok - except for one thing Saturday's a working day so I have to make up some excuse and leg it home to see us play.
Looked on the official site & seems like there's a lot more "morning" kick off coming up after xmas - chelsea, the bindippers & the bitters to name three I know of. <img src="graemlins/santa.gif" border="0" alt="[Santa]" />
Looked on the official site & seems like there's a lot more "morning" kick off coming up after xmas - chelsea, the bindippers & the bitters to name three I know of. <img src="graemlins/santa.gif" border="0" alt="[Santa]" />
Early Kick-Offs are TV related! No live games can be aired in Britain or Ireland if they kick of between 1230 and 1730 Gmt! Pretty stupid rule really! Would like to see live football with 3 o clock kick-offs on a Saturday
I love the early kick offs, its great here in Oz, get the game at 11pm, instead of at 2am which is a pain in the arse!
its been great getting up at 4am. with the exception of the shitty game my day has been off to a great start. i had to work the last two early risers (ARSE and Westham) so i got to see the game when if it was played at the usual time i wouldnt so good deal for me <img src="graemlins/devil.gif" border="0" alt="[Devil]" />
Yes vote from Hong Kong on the early starts too, 8:00pm is spot on for a Saturday match. I am sure it is done to get around the 12:30 - 5:30 Saturday no live matches on Sky rule which was put in place to protect the audience share for Match of The Day as they get first broadcast rights to the days goals in the UK.
I am sure there is also a degree to which the sales rights throughout the Far East are now a driving force in the fixture rearrangements given the possible audience figures from China alone even before you take in footie mad Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia etc.
The US is never likely to form a major percentage in the viewing figures so many clubs and broadcasters have begun looking in this direction with marketing and suiting match times to increase viewing is a logical progression from this.
I am sure there is also a degree to which the sales rights throughout the Far East are now a driving force in the fixture rearrangements given the possible audience figures from China alone even before you take in footie mad Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia etc.
The US is never likely to form a major percentage in the viewing figures so many clubs and broadcasters have begun looking in this direction with marketing and suiting match times to increase viewing is a logical progression from this.
I hate early ko's on saturdays. Have to get time off work (usually finish at 12 and go on to the match after). Much prefer either Sat 3pm or Sunday 4pm.
Originally posted by Bury Red:
<strong>Yes vote from Hong Kong on the early starts too, 8:00pm is spot on for a Saturday match. I am sure it is done to get around the 12:30 - 5:30 Saturday no live matches on Sky rule which was put in place to protect the audience share for Match of The Day as they get first broadcast rights to the days goals in the UK.
I am sure there is also a degree to which the sales rights throughout the Far East are now a driving force in the fixture rearrangements given the possible audience figures from China alone even before you take in footie mad Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia etc.
The US is never likely to form a major percentage in the viewing figures so many clubs and broadcasters have begun looking in this direction with marketing and suiting match times to increase viewing is a logical progression from this.</strong><hr></blockquote>
It's a sick world when true fans have to struggle to get to these early K.O's to enable the chinese to watch the match at prime-time 8pm Sat. fecking joke.
Originally posted by ManUtd.USA:
<strong>
why is aren't there games live if the kickoff is between those times?</strong><hr></blockquote>
It's something to do with protecting the attendances for lower division clubs. Why would anyone want to stand in the rain watching Bury when they could go to the pub and watch United? <img src="graemlins/houllier.gif" border="0" alt="[Houllier]" />
Early kick-off's do my head right in, it's just not right to be in the pub drinking at 7am on a Saturday. Noon kick-offs are okay, sets the day up nicely for an all day drinking session. Freaks the locals out though when everyone that they see staggering around the town hardly able to speak by 10pm is either from England or Ireland!
Originally posted by Ronnie:
<strong>
It's a sick world when true fans have to struggle to get to these early K.O's to enable the chinese to watch the match at prime-time 8pm Sat. fecking joke.
Aye, but it's a fact of life. The game at the top level is no longer the parochial vision of the old time match with terraces filled up as the mills emptied their workforces out for the weekend complete with flat caps, whippets and t'woodbines. The clubs recognise it, FIFA recognise it, in fact it's only dinosaurs like you who are holding on to "the good old days".
Just look at the first pre-season match where Rio played, televised in China to an audience of 15 million and yet you could only watch it at the ground in the UK. The Houston Rockets are just beginning to realise that the value in their new 7'6" signing Yau Ming may not be limited to the court as their normal viewing figures of 500,000 maximum per game have been swelled to over 50 million in recent weeks.
You wanna whinge about struggling to get to a match at 12noon from anywhere in the UK then your heart's not in it, take up gardening or something less stressful