Keith Hackett reacts to bizarre Birmingham, West Brom and Wolves development that has fans scratching heads
Many of England’s West Midlands side are not having a memorable campaign to date.
In the Premier League, Wolves are almost certain to be relegated, and are just on eight points from 24 matches.
In the Championship, things are not much better, with West Brom now in the relegation zone, with calls getting louder for Eric Ramsay to be sacked at The Hawthorns just weeks into his reign.
Birmingham City are also performing below expectations this season, with promotion to the Premier League now looking unlikely despite the money that was spent in the summer.
Now, bizarrely, all three clubs have home ties at 3pm on Saturday, which could now cause issues for the police.
Keith Hackett: Fixture schedule will put more pressure on the police
While fans of each of the three West Midlands clubs are unlikely to be rushing to get to their games on Saturday, many will still turn up in hopes of achieving a victory.
On top of this, given that Birmingham and West Brom are set to face local sides in Leicester City and Stoke City, it could add further fuel to the fire in the stadiums.
This is also without including games further down the pyramid, with Walsall also hosting Barnet in League Two.
Taking on Chelsea 🐺 pic.twitter.com/p3vE2ULy7w
— Wolves (@Wolves) February 7, 2026
Therefore, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Keith Hackett believes that the fixture pile-up will add more pressure on the police force.
He said: “There is no doubt that this type of fixture scheduling does put extra pressure on local Police Forces.
“With each club having close connections with the Police, and the fact that there is a Police Commander allocated to each team.
“The pre-planning that takes place will have sufficient officers available.
“There are times when police resources are brought in from outside, to cover any vulnerability.
“In addition, of course, inside the Stadium, trained and accredited security staff are available.
“Let’s hope the day passes without a problem.”
Which West Midlands sides are in action on Saturday in the EFL?
In the Premier League, both Wolves and Aston Villa are in action on Saturday, with the Old Gold side hosting Chelsea, while Unai Emery’s side are away to Bournemouth.
Into the Championship, and on top of Birmingham’s and West Brom’s games, Coventry City are set to host Oxford United.
Port Vale are also hosting Burton Albion in League One, with both teams looking to pull themselves out of the relegation zone.
Finally, Walsall are the only other West Midlands team in action on Saturday, as they look to get their promotion hopes back on track in League Two.