Arsenal fans face being left stranded in Middlesbrough after Sky Sports move game to Monday night – The Independent
Arsenal supporters face the daunting prospect of attempting to travel back from Middlesbrough late on a Monday night after their Premier League fixture was moved to 17 April so it can be shown live on Sky Sports.
The fixture is one of four Arsenal matches that will be shown live on television during April, but the 500-mile round trip journey will pose supporters planning to travel to the Riverside for the match against Boro.
Supporters willing to travel north for the match will have to do so by road, given that the last train to leave Middlesbrough station that will get fans home the same night leaves at 20:56, shortly before the second half is due to kick-off, and also requires a change at Darlington that results in a 01:03 arrival at London Kings Cross.
The move is likely to cause further uproar among fans who are growing tired with fixtures being moved to suit television audiences and not those who pay significantly more over the course of a season to follow clubs home and away.
The only other fixtures moved in April that will cause travel problems is the clash between Chelsea and Manchester City, which will now be shown live on BT Sport from 20:00. However, City fans should be able to make it home given that the last train to leave London Euston destined for Manchester Piccadilly leaves at 23:00, more than an hour after full-time at Stamford Bridge, with Transport for London quoting a 25 minute journey from the stadium.
All Arsenal’s matches due for live broadcast will be shown on Sky Sports, with their games against Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Boro and the north London derby against Tottenham moved during a busy month of Premier League action. However, their non-televised encounter with Sunderland, scheduled for the 23 April, could yet be moved if Arsenal beat Lincoln City to reach the FA Cup semi-finals, which take place at Wembley Stadium that weekend.
However, Arsenal are not the club who will feature most on TV throughout the month. That accolade goes jointly to Manchester United and Premier League leaders Chelsea, with the pair due to face each other at Old Trafford on Sunday 16 April in a 16:00 kick-off
United’s other televised matches come against Everton on Tuesday 4, at Sunderland on Sunday 9, at Burnley on Sunday 23 and finally when Swansea visit Old Trafford on Sunday 30. Chelsea’s games will see their clash against City shown on BT Sport along with their trip to Bournemouth three days later, before Sky show their remaining matches against Southampton and Everton – the former dependent on if Chelsea reach the FA Cup semi-finals should they beat United in the last-eight, with the same going for Jose Mourinho’s side and their clash with Burnley.
Arsenal fans face a 500-mile round trip to Middlesbrough on a Monday night (Getty)
Elsewhere, City will be shown four times, with their matches against Arsenal, Chelsea, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion all shown live, while Tottenham also have four matches due for live broadcast in their games against Watford, Bournemouth, Leicester and the north London derby.
Liverpool have paid the price for their recent slump in form as they feature just three times with the Merseyside derby against Everton, the trip to West Brom and the visit of Crystal Palace to Anfield all shown on Sky Sports.
BT Sport live Premier League fixtures in April:
Sat 1: Southampton v Bournemouth (5.30pm)
Tue 4: Manchester United v Everton (8pm)
Wed 5: Chelsea v Manchester City (8pm)
Sat 8: Bournemouth v Chelsea (5.30pm)
Sat 15: Southampton v Manchester City (5.30pm)
Sat 29: Crystal Palace v Burnley (5.30pm)
Sat 30: Manchester United v Swansea (12pm)
Sky Sports live Premier League fixtures in April:
Sat 1: Liverpool v Everton (12.30pm)
Sun 2: Swansea v Middlesbrough (1.30pm)
Sun 2: Arsenal v Man City (4pm)
Sat 8: Tottenham v Watford (12.30pm*)
Sun 9: Sunderland v Man Utd (1.30pm)
Sun 9: Everton v Leicester (4pm*)
Mon 10: Crystal Palace v Arsenal (8pm)
Sat 15: Tottenham v Bournemouth (12.30pm)
Sun 16: West Brom v Liverpool (1.30pm)
Sun 16: Man Utd v Chelsea (4pm)
Mon 17: Middlesbrough v Arsenal (8pm**)
Sat 22: Man City v West Brom (12.30pm***)
Sun 23: Leicester v Tottenham (12pm***)
Sun 23: Chelsea v Southampton (2.15pm***)
Sun 23: Burnley v Man Utd (2.15pm***)
Sun 23: Liverpool v Crystal Palace (4.30pm)
Sun 30: Everton v Chelsea (2.05pm)
Sun 30: Tottenham v Arsenal (4.30pm**)
*Subject to Leicester’s involvement in the Champions League, Everton v Leicester City could move to Saturday April 8, 12.30pm, with Tottenham Hotspur v Watford moving to Sunday April 9, 4pm.
** Subject to Arsenal’s involvement in the Champions League
*** Subject to FA Cup semi-final
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