Posh Letter: Since when has Thursday become part of the weekend?

The FA Cup Round 3 is special.

It is when Premier League and Championship sides join the competition, thus ensuring that those surviving lower division clubs have a chance of being drawn against ‘one of the big boys’. Indeed this has happened – Peterborough United of League 1 have been drawn against Everton of the Premier League and, initially fans were very excited by this draw.

After all, drawing a big club is every supporter’s dream and often only occurs once in a generation.

Both the FA and BBC website note that FA Cup Round 3 matches “will be played over the weekend of Saturday 11 January”. Since when has Thursday become part of the weekend?

Consequently we in the Civic Society are dismayed at the scheduling of the match for the following reasons:

1. Since the match is on Thursday night, kicking off at 1945hrs, it is virtually impossible for adult Posh supporters to attend the game without taking a large chunk of time off work on Thursday 9 and possibly Friday 10 January. (For information it is 150+ miles from Peterborough to the Everton ground, a journey that takes about three hours).

2. Under new FA rules there is no replay in these matches. Consequently, should there be extra time and even penalties, supporters may not leave the ground until well, after 2200hrs.

3. Those wishing to use public transport (rail or bus/coach) to and from the match will find it impossible to return to Peterborough on the Thursday evening.

4. Had the match been scheduled for either the Saturday or Sunday then children would have been able to attend the game. As it stands no Peterborough child will be able to attend the match, since it occurs during the first week of the Spring term. If any child is spotted in the crowd on television during the match, presumably parents will be prosecuted for allowing an unauthorised absence.

5. Two other games - Manchester City v Salford and Leeds v Harrogate are both conveniently taking place at 1745 on Saturday 11 January. If the FA had wanted matches to occur on Thursday, surely these matches, both being local ties, could have been selected. Salford and Harrogate fans wishing to attend games in Manchester and Leeds would have found it easy on a Thursday evening.

It is my opinion that, in this instance, the FA are completely disregarding the needs and requirements of fans from Peterborough. If the decision to schedule this match for the Thursday evening, then I will no longer feel able support the FA in its attempts to encourage children and young people in particular to become football supporters. Such hitherto laudable initiatives will now appear hollow.

We note that Everton FC are also unhappy with this decisions. Consequently the FA appears too have created a lose-lose situation.

Toby Wood Vice-chair, Peterborough Civic Society