THE LAST WORD

IT is a familiar lament in this column, but European kickoff times continue to antagonise and alienate players and spectators alike. Of course, it suits the armchair viewer to sit comfortably at home and enjoy wall-to-wall action, but those who bother to turn up at grounds are being hugely inconvenienced. Clubs find it hard to market the late games — those at 7.45pm on Saturdays and especially the 5.30pm Sunday slots. Crowds are patchy and some way below league levels in many cases, even though this should be the pinnacle of the Northern Hemisphere club game. There was little sign of Clermont’s fabled ‘Yellow Army’ in Swansea at tea-time yesterday, which deprived the occasion of noise and colour. Imagine how many more would have made the journey to Wales for a Saturday 3pm kick-off. The dual broadcaster model has absurdly stretched the schedule. The fact that it is being abandoned after this season is a blessing.