With football returning to stadiums and television sets around the UK last weekend, there is some small semblance of normality for fans once again – even if we cannot yet return to grounds and support our team on in person.
With the Premier League confirming that they had struck agreement with the broadcasters for all of September’s fixtures to be screened somewhere, there’s a huge expectation that a similar agreement will be struck for October’s games as it doesn’t feel like we’ll be back in grounds any time soon.
With plenty of other sports back as well and fans looking for entertaining distractions, there can’t be many who haven’t searched for live football on tv given the plethora of broadcasters these days, especially given the regularity to which fixtures actually get moved around and the above website is a quick and handy way to keep track of what is on, where and when, on our television screens.
With ongoing Covid concerns, even matches set in the calendar aren’t guaranteed to take place as sport isn’t immune from infections, so fans are going to have to get used to planning their sporting fixes almost on a daily basis.
Aston Villa fans, in particular, have seen that as their opening day clash with Manchester City was immediately postponed with Pep Guardiola’s side having a delayed start to the season owing to Champions League commitments, and they’ve already had their next two fixtures pushed back for the cameras – despite Dean Smith’s side not having kicked a ball in anger yet.
Sides are going to have to get used to that as in some ways the authorities and television companies will be making this season up as they go along and being very much reactive to what is happening in ‘real life’ outside of football.
Whilst it’s still far from normal though, at least the 2020/21 season is now with us and even though we’ll just have to muddle through as best as we can, if we keep getting sensible television agreements until fans are allowed back into their seats, it’ll definitely be better than having no football, or sport, at all.
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