Sheffield Wednesday supporters will have three more dates to update in their calendars after the latest round of EFL broadcast selections confirmed changes to fixtures against Barnsley, Leicester City and Luton Town.
The alterations mean two of Wednesday's standout away trips have been moved to weeknight kick-offs, while a home fixture has also been selected for live television.
Three fixture changes confirmed
The South Yorkshire derby away to Barnsley has been brought forward from Saturday, November 21 to Friday, November 20, with an 8pm kick-off. The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Football.
A few weeks later, Wednesday's trip to Leicester City has also been rescheduled. Instead of taking place on Saturday, December 12, the Owls will now travel to the King Power Stadium on Thursday, December 10 for an 8pm kick-off, again live on Sky Sports Football.
Meanwhile, the home fixture against Luton Town remains on Saturday, December 19, but the kick-off time has been brought forward from 3pm to 12.30pm for live coverage on Sky Sports+.
The EFL has also confirmed that the next round of broadcast selections, covering fixtures from the conclusion of the FA Cup third round through to the midweek of March 2-3, will be announced by November 6.
Supporters' concerns continue
The latest changes come just weeks after Wednesday's opening home league fixture against Bradford City was moved from its traditional Saturday afternoon slot to Thursday, August 20 at 8pm, prompting a strongly worded response from the Sheffield Wednesday Supporters' Trust.
In a statement released following that announcement, the Trust said:
> "We are disappointed to learn that our opening home fixture against Bradford City, originally scheduled for 3pm on Saturday, August 22, has been moved to 8pm on Thursday, August 20.
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> What should have been a fantastic and exciting opportunity for supporters to come together and celebrate the opening home game of the season, and the beginning of a new era under the club's new ownership, has instead become a fixture that many fans will now struggle to attend."
The Trust highlighted the impact on families, supporters with work commitments and travelling fans, before calling on broadcasters to place greater emphasis on those who regularly attend matches.
It added:
> "We urge Sky Sports and other broadcasters to give greater consideration to the needs of match-going supporters when scheduling fixtures. Football simply wouldn't exist without its fans, and they deserve to be at the heart of these decisions."
A growing debate
The latest changes are unlikely to surprise many Wednesday supporters. The growing influence of television scheduling on the traditional Saturday matchday experience has become an increasingly contentious issue across the EFL.
As we reported previously in Sky Sports Are Ruining Saturdays, regular moves away from the traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off affect supporters, families, local businesses and the wider matchday experience.
With Friday night at Barnsley and Thursday evening at Leicester now added to the calendar, that debate looks set to continue throughout the season.