Fans slam match switch

The Clarets trip to relegated WBA on Saturday, August 16 has been shunted back to a 5.35pm kick off the same evening.

And Boundary Clarets Chairman Paul Smith is urging supporters to now launch some sort of mass protest to the TV giant at their growing stranglehold on kick-off times.

Smith moaned: "We are sick and tired of games being played at unsociable times. There is no effort by Sky or the Football League to take the fans into consideration - they just cater for the armchair viewer.

"I remember Manchester United had a protest about it last season because they had so few home games at 3pm on a Saturday.

"Surely the time has now come for other clubs to join them in some sort of mass protest. A petition could be signed, or a mass protest of Sky TV - anything to make them listen to the fans."

Smith added: "The Football League hardly help and we had some horrendous journeys last season.

"Portsmouth in midweek, Gillingham five days before Christmas and Brighton during the Christmas period."

"Why the hell can't we play local teams away in midweek and at holiday times?"

Football League Customer Services representative, Patricia Brown, responded: "In conjunction with clubs, police, supporters' representatives and the Premier League we look at the key dates in particular such as opening and closing days, Bank Holidays, Christmas and Easter.

"High profile matches, police requests, restrictions on seaside resort teams being at home on Bank Holidays, clubs preferring not to play local derbies on holiday dates etc, all have an impact on the programme.

"Clubs are also asked who they would prefer to play over the Christmas period.

"Changes must be kept to a minimum because to make one change will involve three or four other fixtures and six or eight clubs.

"Once the computer-generated fixtures have been received we have two weeks to further consider these and reach solutions that satisfy everyone."

Take a look at the online petition site...