Fans have been left outraged after reports have suggested that the moving of a clash between Bristol City and Cardiff City, which was rearranged at just 18 days notice, could have been dealt with far more quickly.
It is now believed that discussion regarding the move first took place “last summer”.
Fans left outraged at news of controversial reason behind late move of Bristol City vs Cardiff
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Why are fans outraged?
Put simply, the two clubs in question – Bristol City and Cardiff City – ignored requests from the police “last summer” to rearrange their fixture so that they could wait and see if it was selected to be broadcast live on SkySports.
When it became clear that it hadn't been, the fixture was rescheduled at just 18 days' notice, leaving many fans fuming at the decision.
Initially, the game was set for a 3 pm kick-off, but it has now been moved forward to the early kick-off time of 12:30 pm.
Why was it rescheduled?
As is the case with many of these controversial fixture changes, the reason behind the move was the intense rivalry that exists between the two fanbases involved.
To many, such rivalry may seem strange, what with the two clubs being located in two different countries, however, in reality, they are not all that far apart and the tension between the pair is just as intense as any other local derby.
It is for that reason that the police have been requesting an earlier kick-off time for the fixture since last summer, with the aim of reducing violence between the fanbases before, during and after the match.
Fan reaction
In response to the rescheduling, the FSA said via X, formerly Twitter, “Kick off changed with barely three weeks notice. Why couldn't this have been sorted months ago?”
While one Bristol City fan begged the question of how match-going fans are supposed to plan their journeys, saying: “Two and a half weeks notice for a match that has been in the diary for eight months. God forbid any supporters actually buy cheap train tickets or try to plan their lives. Do better, you absolute shambles.”