Spurs visit to the Amex moved for live television coverage

The fallout from Brighton’s dreadful end to the 2018-19 Premier League campaign continues as the television companies continue to shun the Seagulls.

Sky Sports and BT Sports have announced their latest live round of games for October with only one Albion fixture being selected.

That’s Tottenham Hotspur’s visit to the Amex, which will now kick off at 12.30pm on Saturday 5th October. It will be Brighton’s first game on BT of the 2019-20 season.

The only other time that Brighton will be inflicted upon the nation in the first 10 fixtures is for the trip to Newcastle United on Saturday 21st September, Sky Sports showing their considerate side by moving a game which is a 692 mile round trip away to a 5.30pm kick off when there is no way of getting home via public transport.

Two games in the opening 10 is in stark contrast to last season, when the Albion were broadcast five times in the same period including four in the first seven matches of the campaign.

While Paul Barber may be tearing his hair out at the lack of revenue and publicity, it’s excellent news for us supporters. October’s only away game is at Aston Villa and given the high quality of Birmingham’s many pubs, having that one moved would have been a real kick in the bollocks.

Spurs’ two previous visits to the Amex have both been entertaining affairs. A 1-1 draw in April 2018 went a long way towards securing safety for the Albion in their first season of Premier League football as a Pascal Gross spot kick cancelled out Harry Kane’s opener.

Kane was again on target last September when Spurs left Sussex with a 2-1 win. The England captain’s penalty gave the visitors a first half lead which Erik Lamela doubled with 15 minutes remaining.

At 2-0 down, Chris Hughton belatedly released the handbrake and the Albion responded by giving Spurs a real fright in the final 15 minutes.

Anthony Knockaert netted a consolation in the final seconds, but given how under the cosh Mauricio Pochettino’s side had been, there was a real feeling among the Seagulls faithful that positive tactics from Hughton from the outset could have led to a different result.

That sort of approach might have resulted in us being shown on television a lot more this season too though, so it’s all swings and roundabouts.