The schedule in the frown
ANTONIO CONTE has been moaning about fixture-scheduling again.
He wants the Press to help him point out the problems caused by arriving home from Baku in the early hours of yesterday morning and playing Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday evening.
There’s only one group of people who can help, Antonio.
When the next TV deal comes around, club executives and owners could insist on keeping a modicum of control over scheduling.
But for that to happen, they would not have to grasp every last possible penny.
And there’s no chance of them doing that.
THERE is a good chance every English team will win their Champions League qualification group, putting them in the same pot and meaning the rule which prevents a club meeting another from the same country in the round of 16 is irrelevant.
But what on earth is it there for anyway?
One of the group winners is going to get a lousy draw and pull Real Madrid out of pot two but it won’t be Barcelona.
That is just not fair but fairness rarely trumps UEFA’s commercial considerations. IT was lashing down, biblical-style, at the New Lawn last Saturday. The 413 Crewe supporters were getting drenched in their uncovered enclosure, but there was plenty of room in a neighbouring stand.
With only a few home fans there – and eventually facilitated by Forest Green Rovers stewards – a lot of the Crewe contingent made its way to the covered North Stand. They saw a half-decent match too. Crewe led 2-1, but Green scored twice in the final 10 minutes to win (right, Green’s Christian Doidge making it 1-1). There was not a hint of trouble. Apparently, some of the Crewe fans had to step over pitch-side barriers to get to shelter.
Now, Forest Green Rovers have said: “CCTV footage of away fans entering the field of play has been handed to Gloucestershire Constabulary, who will work with colleagues from Cheshire Police to identify and ban any supporters who broke the law or ground regulations.”
Or, the two police forces may just tell Forest Green Rovers that they have a million more important things to do than putting punters, who wanted to get dry at a football match, on their Most Wanted lists.