International Matches

[Seagull1989]

Sorry if fixtures, but why are the international games all being played on different dates , instead of the usual Wednesday and Saturday.

It seems to be dragging out international week longer and we could have had club football back midweek if the games were played on a Saturday.

 

[carteater]

TV. next...

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Pretty sure it was to try and attract a wider audience to the games, which could be taken as either UEFA looking to try and rebuild the prestige of international games against the never ending march of the club game OR it was dictated by tv companies.

Personally, I'm inclined to believe the first reason is actually more likely, I can't imagine demand for international match coverage is massive across Europe, with the exception of the respective home nation.

 

[Seagull1989]

It must be much more difficult for fans to attend the games if they're on a Monday night instead of a Saturday evening. Can only be due to tv companies , who are ruining football. There will be no 3pm Saturday games left soon!
The FA cup final this year was also at 5pm I think

 

[ATFC Seagull]

They haven't been played on Saturdays for several years now, they moved them to Friday (which basically meant I had to give up following Ireland).

The argument at the time was that it meant players went back to their clubs a day earlier to prepare for the weekends' games, so Christ knows how they are justifying this now.

Helps me a bit as Ireland do have a couple of Saturday games and one Sunday lunchtime, but it's a TV market clearly. Saturday afternoon/evening should clearly be how it works, as international football by it's very concept involves travel, even for home games.