West Ham vs Chelsea fixture moved as police grant Sky Sports request
Chelsea are set to have their first two Premier League fixtures moved after police granted a request for their clash vs West Ham. The Blues are set to take on FA Cup winners Crystal Palace on the opening weekend, with that game due to take place on Sunday, August 17, at 2pm.
And it now appears that their first away game of the season against West Ham is also set to be moved a day sooner. Sky Sports are reportedly keen to move the game to Friday, August 22, one day before it was originally set to take place.
Should that request be granted, the game will kick-off at 8pm on the Friday to give it prime position for broadcasting. There would have previously been concerns of crowd trouble between the two sets of fans, given the historic rivalry between the sides, as well as the fact that fans can spend longer drinking due to the late kick-off.
But according to Mail Online, police in London believe they can cope with a switch. The rescheduled game still needs to get approval from the Safety Advisory Group, which is made up of officials from clubs, emergency services and the local council.
With agreement from the police, that green light should become a formality. A statement from the Metropolitan Police read: 'The Met works closely with partners and clubs to ensure the safety and security of those attending football matches in London, and those in the wider community. We want everyone to come and enjoy themselves and will act decisively to deal with anyone intent on causing trouble.'
Chelsea still have plenty of football to play out before they even start considering their Premier League commitments. They are set to take on Brazilian side Palmeiras in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup, while they also have a number of pre-season friendlies scheduled.
They are set to take on Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan. West Ham in the meantime face a hectic pre-season fixture schedule with games against Grasshoppers, Manchester United, Everton, Bournemouth and Lille all set to come.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports and TNT Sports have dished out their fixtures for the opening weekend of the season. Reigning champions Liverpool take on Bournemouth on Friday, August 15 - that game set to be broadcast on Sky Sports.
TNT's first offering of the season sees Aston Villa host Newcastle, while Sky Sports will broadcast Wolves vs Manchester City on the Saturday evening. There are three games due to be broadcast on Sunday, with Manchester United vs Arsenal being the standout, while Nottingham Forest also host Brentford.
Leeds United 's Premier League return rounds off the opening weekend as they welcome Everton to Elland Road on Monday, August 18.
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