The Football Supporters’ Federation says plans for Arsenal and Liverpool to play on Christmas Eve put the interests of football broadcasters over the fans’.

Although it’s currently unconfirmed that Arsenal vs Liverpool is the game Sky Sports are looking to move to December 24, they have requested for a match to be played on that date and the Arsenal match on December 23 makes the most sense given it’s such a high-profile fixture.

The FSF responded: “Reports that Sky Sports are proposing to reschedule Premier League fixtures from Saturday 23rd December to Christmas Eve have been met with anger among football supporters, and represent a new low point in putting the interests of football broadcasters over those of match-going fans,” reports the Independent.

“In particular, the suggestion that Liverpool’s fixture away to Arsenal could kick off at 4pm on Christmas Eve could mean that fans of both clubs would be faced with the impossible choice between attending the game or delaying their plans for starting the festive season with family and friends, with the away team’s travelling fans unable to travel home by public transport afterwards.”

It feels to me like Sky and the rest are pushing the boundaries step-by-step, so whilst each individual action provokes anger, it’s never enough on its own to have a material impact on their viewership. Playing matches on a Friday night is an inconvenience for fans who work during the day, but not enough to make most supporters unsubscribe from Sky Sports or BT Sport.

The same goes for additional kick-off times earlier or later in the day at the weekend, and now the prospect of Christmas Eve fixtures. If all had been announced at once, I think fans would have been driven to boycott, but instead the broadcasters are slowly pushing each change through one-by-one, I feel.

The end result is the same, fans paying big money to attend matches are put second to those watching on TV, and those attending fans have even more obstructions to an enjoyable supporting experience. Hopefully the Premier League and the clubs involved will stand firm against this latest request.