From Monday nights at Molineux to Milan playing in Perth, fans remain hostage to corporate greed

I’ve never been into podcasts but I recently stumbled across ‘It Was What It Was’, a football history show hosted by Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper — and I’ve been hooked.

Whether it’s a three-part deep-dive into the comet-like career of legendary Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi, an interview with the pioneering Brendan Batson or a quadruple helping on Brian Clough’s time at Nottingham Forest I’ve binged it to the point where I’m running out of episodes.

I’ve enjoyed these because I’m fascinated by football history. The product itself is excellent — Draper and Wilson make a great double-act — and the latter’s footballing and historical knowledge is impressive to say the least. 

But I’ve also enjoyed them because as a football fan it’s currently miles more interesting to look back than it is to assess the modern landscape or look to the future.

Football is meant to be fun but as a supporter it is becoming increasingly depressing, mainly for reasons off the pitch.

The steady descent into winter is always made easier by the soothing warmth of the match. But rather than being able to look forward to Saturday afternoon supporters are now hostage to corporate greed more than ever.

Last week the Premier League announced their television fixture changes for the first half of December. December is normally one of the best times to watch football, but for fans of many clubs, festive cheer has been replaced by logistical headaches.

Manchester United supporters are unlikely to receive much sympathy but a small consolation for a season without European competition should, in theory, have been more matches played on Saturdays.

There will be no weekend football at Old Trafford for at least six weeksCredit: Getty Images

In reality United fans have been handed a stinking run of televised matches. Everton at home, 8pm on Monday, November 24. Crystal Palace away, midday on Sunday, November 30. West Ham at home, 8pm Thursday, December 4. Wolves away, 8pm Monday, December 8. Bournemouth at home, 8pm Monday, December 15.

It’s bad enough there is no weekend football at Old Trafford for six weeks, but what about the away fans? Why should a Bournemouth fan have to travel 250 miles to Manchester on a Monday night just before Christmas, probably needing time off work to do so?

Cast your eye across the rest of the top-flight fixtures and there are some other shockers - Everton away to Bournemouth on a Tuesday in early December, Wolves away to Arsenal at 8pm on a Saturday night, Forest at Fulham on a Monday night three days before Christmas.

The complete disregard football’s authorities have for the support which provide the game’s lifeblood is nothing new, but their grip is getting tighter and tighter.

In the Football League there are now three 12.30pm kick-offs in the Championship, League 1 and League 2 every Saturday — how many football fans can honestly say they prefer a 12.30 to a 3pm start?

And it’s not just in Britain where this is playing out.

It is roughly 50 miles from Milan to Como. But early next year the Rossoneri’s trip to play their near-neighbours will take place 8,500 miles away in Perth.

There were farcical scenes this week when it was confirmed Villarreal’s fixture against Barcelona in December would no longer be held in Miami as intended — an embarrassing U-turn for La Liga and their president Javier Tebas, with the announcement coming during The Yellow Submarine’s Champions League clash at home to Manchester City.

This was La Liga’s fourth doomed attempt to play a fixture on the road. Not only is staging league games abroad unfair on fans and hugely damaging for the sporting integrity of the competition but it also sets a darkly dangerous precedent. 

Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile — Newcastle v Sunderland in Riyadh, anyone?

England have qualified for the World Cup - but supporters are likely to be priced outCredit: Getty Images

All this is being played out as the dark cloud of the 2026 World Cup drifts closer. Marketed as an all-singing, all-dancing, inclusive football fiesta it is already clear normal fans will be emphatically priced out.

Tickets for the final will cost as much as $6,000, while dynamic pricing and mass online touting have been more or less legitimised. All for games which will be played in blinding heat to a background of blazing political tensions. Ah, the romance.

Football has travelled so far down this road it has passed the point of no return. It can’t be long before many supporters decide it just isn’t worth it anymore.

But it’s not all bad. I’ve got a two-hour podcast on Crvena Zvezda’s 1991 European Cup win to get stuck into.

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