Why are we away first game of the season and away last game game of season...while the goons are home for both? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/fixtures/9338084/Premier-League-fixtures-2014-15.html
Did some stattery on this : 6 opening home games for the past 20 seasons. 3 opening home games for the past 11. The club has legitimate cause for complaint to the PL. If the Goons are averaging > 60% for the same two intervals, then we know the reason why (even worse if over those intervals the games were not on the same day) .
A stat doing the rounds on Twitter is that 2014-15 will be the seventh Premier League season we started and finished with away fixtures, following 92-93, 95-96, 98-99, 2003-04, 05-06 and 2008-09.
there is no reason to be away for both ... it is a joke couldn't care less which one we are at home for but it's a ****ing disgrace that anyone should have to play both away from home southampton, swansea, sunderland and us all play both away from home...Why? we don't get the excitement of an opening day or final day fixture...complete bollocks decision
Unless you get the stats for the other long-standing PL clubs, you cannot say how hard-done by Spurs actually are. We know that we will not play home games on the same day as the Goons, but those stats show that something is not right on paper.
personally it aint about the team being disadvantaged per se ... it is us the fans being deprived...opening day at home and last day at home are special matches...why are we being stopped from having one of these days as a fan when it is so simple to give EVERY fan of EVERY team one of those days to enjoy? it has really irritated me
The Goons are 13-7 over the past 20 yrs for opening games. So they are not the cause. Which means the PL fixture planners are being deliberate c**ts to Spurs. Get on the phone immediately, Levy.
"personally it aint about the team being disadvantaged per se" On the final day of the season, where Spurs are now often involved in a fight for the CL slot, it is important.
Stats for the final game are 12-8, so closer to 50:50. Though we have had the most recent final games at home for 4 seasons running.
For many years I ranted vociferously about this "injustice". Indeed I used to get wound up by this quite badly. But since being more involved at the club, I am told we actually request to be given an away fixture on the opening day and as Goons are content with being at home on the first day, then the PL are happy to grant our request "as often as is possible". His may sound a bit far fetched, but as I understand it, the reason is that the south stand (Park Lane End) goalmouth, only actually gets full natural sunlight for a few days per year. In fact I believe it is around the longest day time that this happens. This is because of the tightness of the ground, combined with the height of the stands. Our groundsman claims he therefore needs an extra week or so to get the pitch into the pristine condition he PL rules demand, hence our request. It is also my understanding that due to the number of complaints the club has received over the years about his fixture "bias", that they asked the stadium tour guides to mention this in their commentary on the tours.
"His may sound a bit far fetched ..." Not at all. The hallowed turf at Wembley apparently nowadays gets in a bad state because the new stadium is higher than the old one and puts more of the pitch in the shade than of old. The old(er) WHL used to have a nice big SE facing gap between the Shelf / Park Lane section that would have let more sunlight onto sections of the pitch than is now the case. But would it not actually be worse when they build the new WHL ??
We actually ask to be disadvantaged? Sounds about right! Didn't our groundsman used to work for the Goons? Can somebody check that he still isn't, please?
I think van Gaal has hand picked the opening fixtures Swansea (h), Sunderland (a), Burnley (a), QPR(h), Leicester (a), West Ham (h), Everton (h), WBA (a). No easy games, but no City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal or Spurs either
"Didn't our groundsman used to work for the Goons? Can somebody check that he still isn't, please?" For the extra week of "sunlight" , you may be onto something here, PNP.
The first leg of our Europa League qualifier lands on the 21st too, so it might not even be a whole week. Our Boxing Day fixture is away to Leicester, by the way, just in case anyone didn't think that having both the opening and closing games away was **** enough.
Because we all have names beginning with S (Spurs) Longest day is in June 21st. Was on the ground tour couple of weeks ago and no mention was made of this.
I remember us having the same conversation last season. It's ridiculous how often we're away on the first day.
As SC pointed out above, the club request to start the season away from home. Didn't know this myself (until SC pointed it out).
