The fixtures for the 2019/20 Premier League season are out.
The Premier League have now released details on how the season’s schedule is pulled together.
Football fans up and down the country have been complaining about their side's schedule, and supporters won't be surprised to hear that the fixture list is not randomly compiled.
But Glenn Thompson of Atos has now opened up on what goes on behind the scenes.
Thompson and co are the team tasked with scheduling the 2,036 matches across the Premier League and Football League over a nine-month period, and are better equipped than most to give the lowdown all things fixtures.
When are fixtures complied?
The first question most fans usually ask is when work commences on the fixtures, and Thompson has confirmed that work starts on Premier League games at the start of each year.
After receiving the dates from the league, a fixture sequence is then created with European and international dates added, before the FA add their dates for its competitions.
What is sequencing?
Sequencing is the method used to break down the season into a number of constituent parts, called sets.
The fixtures are then broken down into five different sets, that are reversed in the second half of the season.
What are the sequencing rules?
In any block of five fixtures, a team should play three matches at home and two away, or vice versa.
A team should never have more than two-consecutive home or away fixtures, and a club will never start or finish the season with two-consecutive home or away games.
At Christmas, if a club is at home on Boxing Day, then they will be away on New Year’s Day or vice versa.
Can clubs from the same area play at home on the same day?
No. Most sides in the Premier League will have a partner club that their home games cannot clash with.
For example, neither Manchester United or Manchester City can play at home on the same day.
Are clubs consulted?
Yes, around March, the Premier League sends a form to each of its member clubs asking them to fill in three things.
The first is if there are any dates that clubs don't wish to be at home on, although this is answered in conjunction with local police.
Clubs are then asked who their partner club is, before being asked if there are any teams they don't wish to play at home on Boxing Day?
Are fans considered in the scheduling?
Yes, according to Thompson, the computer is programmed to reduce long-distance trips on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Atos and the Premier League also meet with a representative of the Football Supporters’ Federation to go through all the key dates in a season.
