The Premier League and Sky Sports "have been warned the number of away fans attending evening games will begin to dwindle unless action is taken, as it emerged that not one of December’s rearranged fixtures for Monday Night Football is possible to get back from via public transport," according to Laurie Whitwell of the London DAILY MAIL. Four games "have been moved to 8pm kick-offs on a Monday but travelling supporters from Manchester, London, and Swansea will not be able to use trains to return home at full-time unless they stay over until the next morning." Football Supporters’ Federation Chair Malcolm Clarke criticized the Premier League and Sky over the scheduling and revealed that "his group had pressed the broadcaster on the issue earlier this year and would be doing so again in light of developments." The four matches concerned are ManU's trip to Southampton on Dec. 8, Queens Park Rangers facing Everton at Goodison a week later, Chelsea visiting Stoke on Dec. 22, and Swansea "taking on Liverpool at Anfield two days before New Year’s Eve." Swansea City Supporters’ Trust Chair Alan Lewis said there was "sufficient evidence to suggest traveling fans are not really considered when the fixtures are changed." Sky and the Premier League insist that "away crowds are factored into discussions but stressed that the complicated formula for compiling fixture lists made it difficult for televised evening games to always allow public transport." There is also a £200,000 pot available to each club "to help travelling fans." Clarke: "It’s in everybody’s interests that there is a vibrant away support because the atmosphere is one of the things that makes it an attractive television product" (DAILY MAIL, 10/7).
