FA Cup Tie moved to Thursday, 9 January

Will be shown live on BBC IPlayer.

They are totally devaluing the FA Cup now, what a piss take.

https://www.evertonfc.com/news/2024/december/06/date-confirmed-for-blues--fa-cup-tie/

Not fair that.

Nice to stand on the terraces though.

The FA and the Premier League have reached a new agreement which will strengthen the Emirates FA Cup format with new and exclusive calendar windows.

Following the draw for the Emirates FA Cup Third Round we were delighted to have been handed a trip to Goodison Park to face Premier League side Everton. We saw this as a fantastic opportunity for our wonderful supporters to visit this iconic ground in its final year.

We were very confident of taking a full allocation of tickets for our ever first visit to Goodison Park and what is the final ever third round tie there.

On learning that the tie will take place on Thursday 9th January 2025 we are incredibly disappointed that the needs of our supporters have not been taken into consideration in this decision.

Although we have an appreciation that Liverpool and Everton are unable to play on the same day and with Liverpool also drawn at home it was unlikely the game would take place on Saturday, we feel a better solution could have been found to ensure all our supporters who wish to travel to the game would have been able to do so.

Following confirmation from the FA of the decision to play the fixture on the Thursday, we contacted them to ask for the decision to be reversed based on the following criteria:

There are no viable trains from Liverpool to Peterborough scheduled on the evening of the match meaning supporters must travel by car or coach.

Supporters will be required to take two days off work to attend this incredibly important fixture and our younger fans will not be able to attend due to school commitments.

We have never played a competitive game at Goodison Park and interest in the game is very high.

An expected reduced home attendance would reduce the potential revenue for both Peterborough United and Everton.

Peterborough United Chief Executive Dawn Gore said: “Like our supporters, when the draw was made on Monday night, we were all very excited about travelling to Goodison Park. We were inundated with supporters requesting details for ticketing within hours of the draw being concluded.

“To learn that the game has been arranged for a Thursday night is bitterly disappointing. Whilst we understand there are logistical challenges, we do not feel the supporters have been considered in this approach.

“We have made our feelings very clear to the decision-makers at the top of the game and want to assure our supporters that we are just as disappointed as they are about when this game will take place and from a financial standpoint, the Club are set to lose out on revenue that would have been greatly appreciated as a club in Sky Bet League One.”

That is me on the train with the dog and staying at my sister's again.

That is why Newcastle will be at Anfield on New Year’s day and Chelsea will be at Wolves on Christmas Eve!

Some chance of a giant-killing when those mini-minnows are playing away.

If either of those games was played on a Thursday night, the away fans would be back home for last orders.

It would appear that the BBC and ITV have no concern for supporters of Peterborough. But I am sure their Third Round coverage will have lots of two-faced sugary cliches about the "magic of the Cup" and plucky underdogs.

Yet they have weakened Peterborough's chances of an upset with this decision which is likely to halve the number of supporters they have in attendance.

Of course, I want Everton to win. I feel that with a bit of luck we can get to the semi-finals at least. But I hate this increasing telly-isation of football.

Everton also played on Thursday night last season too, away at Palace in the third round, the last Saturday 3rd Round tie we played was away to Hull a few years ago, and the last in front of fans at Goodison was about six years ago against Lincoln City.

Coupled with the abominable VAR, the constant disregard of fans’ interests makes you wonder where the game is heading in the longer term.

Coupled with the abominable VAR, the constant disregard of fans’ interests makes you wonder where the game is heading in the longer term.

This could be the last visit for a lot of blues. Now it requires a 2-day sickie to make it work, which is going to make it totally unviable.

This is a big game for them, and we keep being told that the magic of the FA Cup is still there.

Like they say, it's a long trip on a working and schoolday night. Ridiculous scheduling.