Kieran Maguire: New announcement proves Liverpool ‘hold their owns fans in contempt’
The time it has taken for the Premier League to announce its televised fixtures for December and January is indicative of the “contempt” with which they and clubs like Liverpool hold supporters.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the top flight’s winter broadcast schedule.
The Premier League revealed its full list of TV picks last Tuesday (25 October), two weeks after they were supposed to have made an announcement.
Domestic football will resume on Boxing Day after a break for the World Cup in Qatar, complicating the situation around fixture scheduling.
But the two-week delay will mean more logistical hurdles and increased costs for match-going supporters.
Maguire claims this shows the disregard the Premier League and its clubs have for bedrock fans.
“The two-week delay in terms of choosing the December and January fixtures is a function of a bit of horse-trading between the broadcasters,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“But also, clubs are trying to ensure there are no matches taking place with a very, very short turnaround so players have a proper recovery.
“It does, however, appear that this could have been dealt with far earlier. It is further indication that the fans are effectively held in contempt by the clubs and the Premier League. who are completely beholden to the broadcasters.
“Admittedly, they have paid a huge amount of money for the rights. They want to maximise their viewing figures and the quality of the product as well.”
In other news, Liverpool star Luis Diaz back earlier than expected.