Chelsea clash highlights travel challenges faced by Newcastle United supporters ahead of another late kick-off

Newcastle United supporters will continue to rack up the miles and make light of some questionable decisions from broadcasters when the Magpies visit Chelsea on Monday night.

The trip to Stamford Bridge will mark the sixth consecutive away day that has been disrupted by a decision to select the fixture for live broadcast by either the BBC, ITV, BT Sport or Sky Sports, with the pre-Christmas visit to Luton Town marking the last time the Magpies had an away game at 3pm on a Saturday.

Since then, Newcastle supporters have been subjected to an 8pm kick-off at Liverpool on New Years Day, an 8.15pm kick-off at Aston Villa, an 8pm Saturday night kick-off at Arsenal, a 5.30pm kick-off at Nottingham Forest and a 7.45pm midweek kick-off at Blackburn Rovers. Only the Wear-Tyne FA Cup derby at Sunderland in early January offered some respite as the Magpies faithful made a short trip down the A19 to Wearside.

In selecting Monday night’s visit to Stamford Bridge for an 8pm start, Sky Sports have left Magpies supporters facing difficulties in returning to Tyneside following the game in a move that has become increasingly familiar in recent seasons. The Football Supporters Association have already questioned several decisions made by broadcasters and the body released a statement in December stating the Premier League must ‘do a lot more’ to ease the headache of fixture rearrangements.

FSA chairman Malcolm Clarke said: “The new TV deal will have a huge impact on match-goers with fewer fixtures than ever played on Saturday at 3pm – it’s a massive headache for supporters trying to get to and from games at unsociable hours. Broadcasters have almost absolute power in dictating kick-off times, often to the detriment of supporters, and we want to see top-flight clubs and the Premier League doing a lot more for supporters with the money generated.

“Premier League chief executive Richard Masters says this deal is a testament to players, managers and supporters who create ‘an unrivalled atmosphere every week’ – so let’s make sure supporters are rewarded with affordable football home and away at every club. Finally, we’d like to see a far more equitable distribution of income throughout the football pyramid – protecting both the grassroots of the game and our historic football clubs who play such a vital role in our communities.”

The miles travelled this season has shown the depth of commitment shown by Newcastle supporters throughout the Premier League season as they travel further than fans of any other club during the campaign. Although this will not be a surprise given Newcastle’s geographical location and the sparsity of local rivals in the top flight, the level of miles put in by United supporters compared to others may well raise some eyebrows.

Newcastle fans face an average away journey of 233.03 miles during a Premier League season, far in advance of the 181.59 miles facing the next club in the list, Bournemouth. Supporters of Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley, Everton, Liverpool and Sheffield United all face average trips of over 150 miles. The least impacted supporters are from Fulham, Brentford, Luton, Aston Villa and Arsenal, who all face average away days of under 120 miles.