Manchester United join forces with other top-flight clubs to pressure Premier League into confirming Christmas fixtures schedule following fan backlash

· DailyMail

The Premier League will announce the scheduling of its Christmas fixtures today - following pressure from clubs to make an earlier call.

The Premier League will announce the scheduling of its Christmas fixtures today – following pressure from clubs to make an earlier call.

Manchester United were among those who asked the competition and broadcasters to bring the announcement forwards to allow fans more time to plan and minimise disruption.

And it would appear they have been successful, with the timings due to be made public more than a month earlier than they were last season.

All fixtures are originally listed at 3pm on Saturday, but are subject to being changed after broadcasters have decided which games to televise.

United officials met with senior counterparts at the Premier League and broadcasters to urge that match-going fans should be looked after and ask for earlier decisions on December scheduling to make it easier for those who attend to plan their journeys.

The Football Supporters Association is also understood to have been involved in talks with those involved.

Pressure from clubs and fan backlash has lead the Premier League into confirming their Festive fixture schedule

Last season, the top flight said it would announce fixtures for the festive period on October 15. However, when Daily Mail Sport revealed only one match would take place on Boxing Day on October 27, thanks to calendar pressures driven by UEFA competition expansions, an announcement remained elusive.

The story was confirmed when the fixture schedulings were eventually announced on October 31 with United’s home fixture with Newcastle United the only one to take place on December 26, with an 8pm kick-off.

Boxing Day this year falls on a Saturday and it is expected that a number of top flight matches will take place.

An announcement on fixture timings is expected this afternoon, according to well-placed sources.

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