Lincoln City have been on TV more than Emmerdale in recent weeks, with Leyton Orient at home the next early kick-off for us to enjoy.
We’ve had a few, and this week we’ll find out if we get one last appearance. As the final day games all kick off at the same time, the only game that could still be moved is City against Wycombe on Saturday, the 25th of April. It recently sold out, and there might be a few fans who don’t fully understand VPNs who hope it is moved so they can watch it as well.
Will it be moved? You’ll find out this week, but here is what you might need to know.
How Sky select matches
Usually, there is a selection process that favours fans as much as possible. Before March, TV selections are announced in large batches throughout the year, giving clubs and fans several months’ notice for most fixtures up to the end of February.
That changes in February. Selections for matches scheduled after the first weekend in March are announced on a four-week rolling basis, meaning each weekend’s fixtures are selected roughly one month in advance.
Wycombe is fewer than four weeks away, but the process changes again for the penultimate game of the season. Those games are confirmed three weeks in advance, meaning our game with Wycombe would be confirmed before this Saturday.
Past seasons
Last season was the first of the TV deal, so which games were selected? They had Bristol Rovers against Reading, and Leyton Orient against Wycombe Wanderers. On April 5th, when the games needed to be selected by, Bristol Rovers were in 21st and Reading in seventh, so both had something to play for. Orient were ninth, pushing for the play-offs, and Wycombe were seventh.
Champions-elect Birmingham had their game against Stevenage moved to Thursday night for TV, and Stevenage were mid-table at the time. Bear in mind, they had played in the EFL Trophy final, so they also had a match on the following Sunday.
Will City be moved?
I think it is debatable whether Wycombe will be moved, but who can second-guess Sky? Given how much we’ve been on of late, I’m not convinced we’d be their pick. That said, you’d imagine that we would be attractive, as we will likely still be contesting the title. Even if we were to lose every game until then (four) and Cardiff won four, there would be five points in it, and we’d still be in with a shout of the title. Wycombe are still in the play-off race as well.
What other fixtures might be picked? Well, Blackpool play Leyton Orient, with both still in relegation trouble. However, both are out of the bottom four, so it might be a dead rubber in four matches’ time. Burton are just three points above the drop zone, with their opponents on April 26th, Exeter City, the side they hold the slim advantage over. Another possible relegation decider.
Bradford and Bolton look like a solid pick, but it’s not. It is likely that this will be a dress rehearsal for a play-off match, as both seem comfortable, five and six points clear in the top six, but 11 and 12 shy of Cardiff City. However, they’re the teams featuring on TV the week before, Barnsley hosting Bradford and Bolton hosting Huddersfield.
Other than that, it’s mostly mid-table sides in action. Doncaster host Stevenage, Huddersfield host Mansfield, Luton welcome Barnsley, while Wigan host Wimbledon. All of those sides look likely to be safe, and only Huddersfield and Stevenage have outside chances of the top six.
Plymouth and Port Vale might be a good pick, as the Pilgrims are hunting a play-off spot and Vale are likely to be down. Stockport and Peterborough might be, although the latter falls into that mid-table pack, but Stockport look good for a top six spot and maybe play the sort of football the cameras might prefer over Stevenage. Cardiff host Northampton, and if the Sky cameras want goals, that’s the place to be, although Northampton will have nothing to play for by then.
Rotherham and Reading is the final one with few variables to consider. The Royals are in the top six hunt, and Rotherham are a biggish club, but could be relegated that day. That said, they could be relegated before.
My picks?
If I were a betting man, I’d look at Burton against Exeter City. They’re a pretty strong shout, while us, Cardiff, Plymouth, Stockport and Blackpool probably sit in the ‘maybe’ category. It’s hard to call, of course, but I think given how much we’ve been on recently, and will be again on the 11th, we’d be a tough pick for the cameras, just as Bolton and Bradford would be. They’re surely likely to want to shake it up.
However, given the Bolton and Bradford game, if Sky truly want a game where there could be something riding on it for both teams, our game with Wycombe would be a wise pick. I hope not, because I’m out afterwards and those early kick-offs can be hell on the wallet as well as the liver.
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