Why Sheffield Wednesday’s Bolton Wanderers clash is being played on a Friday night – with no Sheffield United match on Saturday
and live on Freeview channel 276
Wednesday will welcome fellow League One high-flyers Bolton Wanderers to Hillsborough on Friday evening under the lights for what promises to be another tricky examination of their title credentials, with the home side hoping to extend their historic unbeaten league run to 23 matches.
Quite why the match is taking place on the Friday has left some supporters scratching their heads, however, given the game is not being broadcast live on television and that Sheffield United are playing on Sunday.
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Hide AdAs is the case in two-club towns and cities across the UK, limited resources in policing and so on means that the two clubs cannot both play at home on the same day.
The Blades had been due to play a now-rearranged Championship fixture against West Brom this Saturday. That was before they qualified for an FA Cup quarter-final against Blackburn Rovers, which will now be played from midday Sunday.
The EFL fixture computer had left the two Sheffield clubs to negotiate one match rearrangement each after both clubs had been due to play on the same Saturday.
United’s home fixture against Hull City, originally scheduled for Saturday January 21, was switched to the evening of Friday January 20 so as to avoid a clash with Wednesday’s 1-0 Hillsborough win over Fleetwood Town.
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Hide AdThat meant that back in July, with no crystal ball over United’s FA Cup escapades available, Wednesday’s Bolton match was rescheduled for Friday evening.