Following a request from West Yorkshire Police or trip to Huddersfield has been switched back to the original date and kick-off time of 12:30 on Saturday 1st December.
The game was scheduled to take place on the Friday night before at 7:45pm televised live on Sky, but Police fears of a repeat of last weekends trouble at Hillsborough have prompted a rethink costing our neighbours £80,000.
(Hopefully we won't give them an excuse to cover their losses from the commemorative DVD that usually comes out if they beat us.)
Huddersfield insist the money loss is a side issue and the safety of fans is paramount, which prompts the question why did their chief exec Nigel Gibblens makes reference to it and the official website carries a link to the BBC story "Chris Kirkland attacked by Leeds fan.."
Give a dog a bad name etc! I could mention the paint which was daubed on Billy Bremners statue by Huddersfield fans on the 10th anniversary of his death which was followed up by moronic chants of " Silly Bremner" during their 4-0 defeat at Elland Road.
I personally think it is an overreaction due to the actions of one moron and a handful of idiots, however I have never been in favour of Sky TV moving our games to a Friday evening.
Our visit to the Amex, Brighton is still scheduled for next Friday night. Given our nationwide fan base (the pillock who shoved Kirkland travelled up from Cheltenham and went on a pre-match drink binge both on the train and in Sheffield) what is there to stop fans from accessing the demon drink? Can't the Police order pubs to be closed anymore before high-profile fixtures?
Pubs now serve alcohol from as early as 9am, even with a 12:30 kick off there is a good two and half hours drinking time!
And what is the sense of the Millwall away fixture being played on Sunday November 18th, albeit another lunchtime kick-off for the benefit of Sky TV? In particular from the point of safety when the South Bermondsey Station with a covered away-fans walkway, is closed for essential maintenance on that weekend?
The move to change the Huddersfield fixture is purely a knee jerk reaction brought on by thinking that is mixed-up rather than joined-up.