FSF statement on overseas Premier League fixtures

This is a story from the FSF archive – the FSF and SD merged to become the FSA in 2019.

As reported today (The Times, BBC, and others), the Premier League is exploring the possibility of holding competitive matches overseas.

Once again the idea of potentially huge changes to the game has arisen without consultation with one of the groups who matters most – the fans. If the reaction to previous incarnations of ‘Game 39’ and the idea of matches abroad is anything to go by, we expect this proposal to be met with the strongest possible opposition from supporters.

The potential impact on the value of season tickets, which would see fans of half the Premier League clubs missing out a home match, could be enormous. Inevitably some of the fixtures to be moved will be either local derbies or other high-profile fixtures.

The FSF is against the proposals as they have been reported, and will be consulting with Premier League fans’ groups and individuals to formulate an appropriate response.

If you would like to get in touch with your own views on the proposal, please email info@fsf.org.uk, leave a comment on our Facebook page or tweet @the_fsf.

Thanks to Action Images for the image used in this story.