Aston Villa fans facing Cup KO
Feb 24 2009 by Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail
ASTON Villa fans could miss vital home European fixtures next season after UEFA announced that some games will kick off as early as 6pm.
Due to a restructuring of the UEFA Cup, which will become the UEFA Europa League next year, kick off times have been scheduled for 6pm and 8.05pm.
If Villa fail to qualify for the Champions League and end up in the second tier of European football, thousands of fans could face a desperate race against time to get to Villa Park for kick-off.
Teams in central Europe, which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, will not be so badly effected with the time difference meaning their kick-offs will be at 7pm and 9.05pm respectively.
The news comes after thousands of fans missed the first half against CSKA Moscow because Russian television station, TV1, demanded that the kick off was brought forward to 7pm to fit their broadcasting schedule.
Today Villa fans blasted the move as “despicable”.
Villa fan Mike McKiernan, aged 41, who was behind the famous David O’Leary banner “We’re not fickle, We just don’t like you,” said: “It’s just despicable that UEFA can bring the match forward for such an early start.
“It was bad enough when people had to take time off work to get to the ground for 7pm but if kick-offs will be even earlier then it’s really going to hit fans hard. We’re just going to have to hope we qualify for the Champions League instead.”
Dave Woodhall, Heroes and Villains fanzine editor, added: “Everyone’s dream is that home games are at the normal time and away games are televised. The way things are going, fans are missing out on both.”
UEFA Europa League games will be played on Wednesday and Thursday nights next season with the final pencilled in for the Arena Hamburg, in Germany, on May 12, 2010.
