The Premier League recently announced the fixture schedule for matches taking place between April 20 and April 28 inclusive, and Liverpool fans are outraged at the fact that their unwanted tradition of receiving the early kick-off slot on a Saturday has been continued.
They join Chelsea and Manchester City fans in the complaints line after those clubs have also seen less-than-ideal outcomes in the schedule.
West Ham vs Liverpool the early kick-off on Saturday, April 27
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The unwanted tradition continues
Throughout this campaign, Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool supporters alike have been very vocal about the fact that their side appears to be forced to endure the early kick-off on a Saturday more often than anyone else. On the face of it, you may ask the question why this is such a big deal? After all, these are professional athletes who are paid an obscene amount to do what they do.
However, with the Reds competing in the Europa League this year, there has been an increased strain on Klopp's squad, and playing on a Saturday, especially early, on a regular basis means less recovery time for the players.
Disgusting from the Premier League once again. How many 12:30 pm games are Liverpool gonna get this season??
— Kumar Reaturaj (@reaturaj_kr4) March 23, 2024
One fan decided to use hyperbole to make his point, taking to X, formerly Twitter, to say: “You have decided to put Liverpool away at west at 12.30pm. This will be like the 100th time we will be playing at that time.”
While another supporter decided to highlight the fact that Liverpool now have a very busy schedule that week, saying: “Liverpool Saturday lunchtime AGAIN. After the derby on Wednesday night. Joke.”
A final fan labelled the Premier League as “disgusting”, saying: “Disgusting from the Premier League once again. How many 12:30 pm games are Liverpool gonna get this season?”
Is the tradition real?
With that being said, there may still be a few rival supporters questioning whether the unwanted tradition is actually real, perhaps thinking that Liverpool supporters are moaning for no good reason.
But that is not the case. In fact, since Klopp arrived in Merseyside, Liverpool have featured in the early kick-off almost 40 times – significantly more than any other side. Now, how much you read into this ‘curse' depends on how much of a conspiracy theorist you are.
Some have argued that due to the club's huge popularity in Asia, the early kick-offs make their fixtures more marketable in that region, while others have claimed that it may be to reduce crowd trouble at away games. Perhaps there could be a darker reason for the tradition, but either way, the Reds certainly get more than their fair share of 12:30pm slots.