GREG O'KEEFFE: UEFA decision on Europa League tie is so un-Sporting to Everton

30 January 2010 02:00
IT HAS been a month since UEFA declared that Everton must play their next home Europa League tie at the ludicrous time of 5.45pm.[LNB]But the implications of the kick-off time deserve closer scrutiny by organisations outside of football.[LNB]Liverpool council and Merseyside's emergency services should also be fully aware of the potential chaos UEFA have forced upon the city.[LNB]Everton supporter Greg Murphy has highlighted the potential for mishap.[LNB]He writes: 'Aside from the (probably juvenile) debate surrounding the fact that Liverpool FC and Everton FC both need to play home fixtures in the same competition in the same week (they can't both be played on the same night, one of them must move from the original Thursday night schedule, it just happens to be Everton) the reality behind this is that the concerns of broadcast television have taken precedence above all else.[LNB]'UEFA simply will not allow Everton's match (moved to Tuesday 16th from Thursday 18th) to kick-off at the usual weeknight time of 7.45 (or 8pm) as this will cause an overlap between two televised fixtures (the Everton game in question and the Champions League match between AC Milan v Manchester Utd, which is kicking-off at 7.45pm).[LNB]'That's the bottom line. Therefore UEFA have dictated that Everton's fixture must be concluded before AC Milan v Manchester United kicks-off. Hence the 5.45pm Tuesday rush hour kick-off.[LNB]'On any given weeknight, between 4.30pm and 6.30pm, north Liverpool is heavily congested with rush-hour traffic, specifically routes from town, Scotland Road, Walton Road, Walton Lane, County Road, Rice Lane, Stanley Road and Queens Drive north (both directions).[LNB]'On any given matchday - kick-off time regardless - the major point of traffic congestion is roughly one hour before kick-off, so in this case from 4.30pm.[LNB]'How is it proposed that those two inescapable realities are accommodated between the hours of 4pm and 6pm on Tuesday 16th February (dusk)?

Source: Liverpool_Echo