Football fans were left stunned when the FA Cup broadcast fixtures were revealed for the fourth round and they noticed an unusual kick-off time for one of them.
Morning kick-off
The one that caught everyone’s eye was West Bromwich Albion’s match against Brentford/Wolves. This one will be shown live on ITV1 with a kick-off time of 11:45am on Sunday 28th January.
The earliest you tend to get with an English kick-off time is 12pm but it’s not a kick-off time that any team wants to participate in.
Managers such as Jurgen Klopp have spoken out against the 12:30pm kick-off slot that TNT Sports occupy and now ITV have pushed the limits with the 11:45am kick-off.
ITV could have a potential Black Country Derby on their hands if Wolves managed to beat Brentford in the replay. This might explain the morning kick-off time as we’ve started to see more rivalry fixtures opt for the earlier kick-off to avoid any drunken trouble from supporters.
Reactions to the morning slot
The new kick-off time is a big talking point over on X. Many fans believe that Brentford will progress in the replay, leaving ITV with some regrets. Steven Tree tweeted: “ITV going to have serious regrets when they end up with West Brom v Brentford at 11:45am on a Sunday morning.”
Chris Lennon shared the same though with his tweet: “Nothing screams ‘magic of the FA Cup’ quite like West Brom playing Brentford at 11.45am on a Sunday morning.”
The FA Cup third round replays will take place on Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th January.
Full fourth round fixtures
Maidstone United have been rewarded for their triumph win over Stevenage. They will be live on BBC One with their trip to Premier League promotion-hunting Ipswich.
Tottenham V Manchester City is the pick of the weekend whilst Manchester United could face a potential upset at either Newport County or Eastleigh.
Friday, January 26
- Tottenham vs Manchester City – 8pm – ITV 1
- Chelsea vs Aston Villa
Saturday, January 27
- Ipswich Town vs Maidstone United – 12:30pm – BBC One
- Fulham vs Newcastle United – 7pm – ITV4
- Watford vs Southampton
- Blackburn Rovers vs Wrexham
- AFC Bournemouth v Swansea City
- Leicester City vs Hull City or Birmingham City
- Sheffield Wednesday vs Coventry City
- Leeds United vs Plymouth Argyle
- Crystal Palace or Everton vs Luton Town or Bolton Wanderers
- Sheffield United vs Brighton & Hove Albion
- West Ham United or Bristol City vs Nottingham Forest or Blackpool
Sunday, January 28
- West Bromwich Albion vs Brentford or Wolverhampton Wanderers – 11:45am – ITV1
- Liverpool vs Norwich City or Bristol Rovers – 2:30pm – ITV1
- Newport County or Eastleigh vs Manchester United – 4:30pm – BBC One
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