Chelsea fan group furious with ‘unacceptable’ Premier League decision over festive fixture

Chelsea Supporters’ Trust have hit back at the Premier League over the scheduling of one of their festive fixtures. The Premier League have confirmed that Chelsea’s clash with Wolves at Molineux will take place on Christmas Eve, December 24.

It will be the first ever Premier League fixture played on the day before Christmas, and it is part of the Premier League’s mission to increase their share of television viewers. Games on festive days have already become increasingly common in American sports, and the Premier League are clearly looking to follow suit.

But it remains a huge ask of supporters, both home and away, but especially away supporters, to attend a fixture on Christmas Eve, which is traditionally a family day for so many. And the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has now hit back at the Premier League, demanding discussions to reverse the decision to schedule the fixture on December 24.

“It is totally unacceptable that Wolves v Chelsea has been scheduled for Christmas Eve,” read a statement. “Since rumours began to circulate on this issue, the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust has been clear that selecting this kick-off time will place another hurdle in the way of many match-going supporters. Not only could this lead to staffing issues at Molineux, but holiday transport timetables will further inconvenience supporters.

“On Tuesday 24 October, we requested an urgent meeting with the relevant decision-makers within the Premier League. We expect that this meeting will be held very soon, alongside the Wolves 1877 Trust, and the Football Supporters’ Association. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust will formally request that the Premier League properly consults supporters on this issue and that they reverse this decision.”

The Premier League said in a statement when confirming the festive fixtures: “As in previous seasons, special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games played across the three festive Matchweeks. This will allow greater time for players to recover, with the rest periods between Matchweeks 18, 19 and 20 being increased to ensure that no club plays within 60 hours of another match.”