The last of this year’s Premier League Promotion slots will go to a team from West London. Either Brentford or Fulham will host top-flight English football in 7 short weeks, and it makes for a few really interesting scenarios. We’ll definitely see some impact in how the EPL schedule makers set up the schedule, and thus, logistics. Plus, will there be fans in the stands sometime soon, as we transition from summer into the fall schedule? Can’t wait to find out.
On to Brentford, or Fulham?
Brentford opens a new stadium in this new campaign. (What a way to send out Griffin Park with that comeback win over Swansea.) As much as their fan base will be gutted not to get the chance to see the old stadium out with such an amazing result, having an EPL fixture list in 2020-2021 that’s all big-time should be extra exciting.
I’ve had a keen interest in the Brentford stadium over the past few years, after catching a glimpse of it during my travels. You can see the Brentford stadium on the general route from Heathrow to Central London in a taxi. It’s been fun to go from noticing the construction and wondering who and what was happening to seeing Brentford rise into EPL consciousness.
Their new stadium was already a prime candidate for a visit, if the logistics gods would provision a Friday night Championship excursion. Here’s hoping that with a move to the big time, a mid-week match in the post-Christmas period could be in the cards.
The interesting thing will be ticketing availability. Given the size of the ground (approx. 17,500 seats), a loyal fan base, and the once-in-a-lifetime that will be EPL football to open the ground — tickets will be scarce (#NormalTimes) to extra-scarce (#COVID2021). A fitting replacement to the scarcity of Watford and Bournemouth, if it happens.
Fulham, on the other hand, will be trying to deal with a return set of visitors into a full house a bit ahead of schedule.
Craven Cottage is in the middle of a big renovation to the Riverside stand. The new capacity should be amazing, right on the river. With one stand locked into place with a historical designation, this is the new, modern area that should make for an extra special matchday experience.
The project is slated to carry on through this upcoming season, with an opening of the stand in 2021-2022 (say the FAQs). This would definitely see a reduction in the number of folks they can fit into the stadium for a Premier League campaign. On some levels, in a #NormalTimes situation — this would be a big bummer for fans and the club. Given that promotion might happen while capacity is reduced anyway could be a blessing in disguise.
The impact of West London club congestion …
The last club in to the EPL may have an interesting impact on how the schedule is constructed and the #NormalTimes logistics of getting to multiple matches.
Each club in the EPL has pair — another club that’s always working a home/away rotation on the opposite weeks. This is vital for logistics and policing in places like Manchester and North London, where there’s no way to accommodate home matches simultaneously in proximity.
Pairings have an impact on what you might be able to see and do on a single trip if you are a multi-match visitor like I am. I have one friend who supports Arsenal, and another who supports Spurs — and there’s very, very little probability for us to see both of their clubs at home on the same trip. (Except for when they’re reliably in the Europa League.)
So with Fulham and Brentford both being London clubs — and the pairings have a lot do to with logistics and policing, some things could get a little crazy on that front.
Fulham’s designated opposite would be Chelsea, no doubt. Natural rivals (who hate one another) and logistics that get a little too close to the grounds.
Brentford’s designated opposite would be … Crystal Palace, maybe? It’s hard to say. Does West Ham fit in here somewhere?
We’ll only know the designated impact when the schedule is released, but this is a relatively minor detail on the grand scheme of things that can have a major impact when you are working on a multi-match run.
A return to grounds? (rumor watch #1)
It was delightful to listen to a big segment of Wednesday’s Football Ramble Daily, where the hosts talked through reports of a possible return to the grounds in early autumn. (fast forward to 22:30 for a listen).
Jules Breach shared the reporting that the first time back in the stadiums in any kind of capacity could be England v. Wales at Wembley in an international friendly in the October International window. (October 8, says The Irish Mirror).
Not long after that, the report went, the EPL would follow back into the grounds on reduced capacity, with allocations for home fans only.
Honestly, this is a LOT sooner than I thought, given the general state of the COVID pandemic around the world. I figured we might be stuck with controversial video game noise until Spring. That said, my perspective here is colored by the increasing number of cases in the states, and the prospect of August to September quarantines here in the Northeast for returning travelers.
If fans can attend safely in the UK, it would be a great thing. However, I worry about the vast number of season ticket holders that would seemingly be in high-risk categories. In my visits, the very reliable “look around the stands” technique of data collection makes me feel like a good deal of the season ticket base is 50+.
And, even with fewer folks in the stands — the confines are … friendly. Seats close together. So much that you are really shoulder to shoulder in the seats pretty much all of the time. Not to mention crowded concourses, lots of yelling and singing — all the things that give you the great atmosphere and seem a little too crazy for #COVID2021 times.
(NOTE: Since my listen to the Ramble on Wednesday, the British government has already reversed course on its plan to allow small numbers at some events starting this weekend)
The bottom line — “fans in the stands” is going to be a moving target in these #COVID2021 times. As an international traveler, you can only dream about #NormalTimes as we run-up to the start of the new season.
And no matter what happens in the Championship playoff final — it’s going to be an interesting fixture list to come.