According to the British "Times" report, the Premier League recently announced the holiday schedule, of which only one match between Manchester United and Newcastle is scheduled on Boxing Day (December 26), and the kick-off time is 8 pm local time. This arrangement triggered strong criticism from the British Football Supporters Association (FSA).
The Football Supporters Association bluntly described this decision as "ridiculous" in a statement, and pointed out: "Fans have been fed up with these untimely kick-off times. Scheduling an 8pm game on Boxing Day and New Year's Day shows that television broadcasts are placed above everything else. This situation must be readjusted."
This arrangement means that Newcastle fans need to travel to and from Manchester on the evening of Boxing Day, facing a three-hour drive. The FSA also criticized the Premier League's delay in announcing the schedule, saying "football fans deserve better."
The Premier League official explained in a statement that due to the increase in European competitions and domestic schedule pressure, the number of Premier League game weekends this season has been reduced to 33, resulting in the lowest number of Boxing Day games since 1982. The Premier League has promised to increase the number of Boxing Day games next season and said it has extended the interval between games during the holiday period to ensure players can recover.
According to the schedule, except for Manchester United’s Boxing Day match against Newcastle, the remaining 18 teams will compete on December 27th and 28th.