When Sky TV picked their last batch of games for live transmission, Aston Villa were over looked due to their fading relevance on the Championship run-in. What a difference five-game winning run makes.
Today was the shorten deadline for televising games on the 27th April and not surprisingly, Sky have selected Villa’s final away game of the season, the trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United.
With Leeds’ promotion fate uncertain at this current moment, it could be a game that offers up several permutations.
Will Leeds need something from it to clinch automatic promotion? Will Villa need a point or three to cement a play-off spot? Will it be a dress rehearsal for a play-off game between the two teams?
The notice period is shorter than the normal five-week period Sky are sticking to now, but since it’s one of the final two games of the season and potentially has a big significance on the final places, Sky leave it to the last possible moment to make their choice for their season climax games.
Funnily enough, MOMS was making plans for that weekend earlier today, assuming the game was a Saturday 3pm kick-off, but we’ve now been thrown a curve ball with the fixture switching to a 12.00 kick-off the following day on the Sunday.
Leeds United v Aston Villa
New fixture date: Sunday 28th April 2019
New kick-off time: 12:00pm
Venue: Elland Road
After a nice recent run of 3pm Saturday fixtures, Villa will now end the season with three lunch time kick-offs.
Cross country away trips at 12pm with Sunday public transport are never ideal, although of seemingly little concern to the TV company. It’s certainly not a preferable way to end the final away day of the regular season, when it’s nice to have a few beers to reflect on the season, that aren’t with your breakfast.
Hopefully, Villans will enjoy two more away matches after their trip to Elland Road to make up for it.
UTV
Remaining Aston Villa 2018/19 Fixture List
April
6: Sheffield Wednesday (a) 3pm
10: Rotherham United (a) 7.45pm
13: Bristol City (h) 3pm
19: Bolton Wanderers (a) 3pm
22: Millwall (h) 1pm
28: Leeds United (a) 12pm
May
5: Norwich City (h) 12.30pm
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I’ll give anyone a lift to Leeds if they can find me a ticket. Only been to 5