Late notice of Burnley's fixture change against Luton Town blasted by leading fans' group

Burnley were initially due to host their relegation rivals at Turf Moor on Monday, January 15.

But after Luton were held to a 0-0 draw by Bolton in the FA Cup, the Hatters must now face a replay on Tuesday, January 16.

As a result, the Luton game – which is being televised on TNT Sports – has been brought forward to this Friday night.

The confirmation of the date change came on Sunday, January 7, just five days before the game is due to take place.

This, according to Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), is not good enough for the supporters who had already arranged travel to the North West.

“Conditional TV selections are becoming a major headache for matchgoing fans – particularly away fans with more games being moved multiple times to accommodate the wants of broadcasters,” the FSA said.

“Although most matchgoing fans are familiar with the fixture congestion caused by replays, it’s clear that TV’s insistence on this particular game being a Monday night kick-off has been an aggravating factor.

“We’ve raised this problem with leagues, broadcasters and the authorities repeatedly but little progress has been made. We are going to keep banging this drum.

“TV selections should not come with multiple caveats – supporters need to have certainty about when games are being played so they can make their arrangements in good time.

“If a game is at risk of being moved twice or more we don’t think it should be eligible for selection – simple as that.”