- West Ham United’s trip to Newcastle was rescheduled
- The Hammers will face the Magpies on Sunday 5.30pm due to the FA Cup final
- West Ham remain in the relegation zone
West Ham United’s trip to Newcastle United was formally rescheduled for live television coverage, with the Hammers set to meet the Magpies on an atypical Sunday evening this weekend.
The Premier League match at St James’ Park was initially slated for a 3pm kickoff on Sunday, May 17, but has been moved to 5:30pm after Sky Sports picked it for live broadcast. Usually, the 3pm kick-off time in the English top flight is reserved for Saturday, but due to one fixture this weekend, the slot will be moved to Sunday for a host of fixtures.
Why is Newcastle United vs West Ham United kicking off on Sunday 5.30pm?
The schedule change is part of a larger shake-up in the Premier League calendar, with the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City taking place on Saturday, May 16.
According to agreements between the Football Association and the Premier League, top-flight fixtures cannot collide directly with the domestic cup final, necessitating the rescheduling of several games during the weekend.
It means the usual multi-game slot for Saturday’s action, including Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest at 12pm, will be on Sunday.
What does the schedule change mean for West Ham?
For West Ham, the scheduling of the match might add intrigue to what is already building up to be a pivotal clash in their season. The Hammers remain in a precarious relegation race following their contentious defeat to Arsenal at the London Stadium, with Nuno Espírito Santo’s side requiring favourable results from their last two matches to stave off relegation to the Championship.
Sky Sports’ decision to reschedule the match follows a pattern of Premier League matches being reshuffled for broadcast considerations, with Sunday evening slots becoming more prevalent as the season winds down.
West Ham are amongst the four teams to see their games moved the most in the Premier League.
Supporters travelling from east London to Tyneside have already expressed dissatisfaction with the amended kick-off time, with worries raised about transport and late-night returns after the long away trip.
