Earliest Kick-Off Time

[Satchmo Distel]

The Riga v Tre Fiori game, postponed from yesterday, kicked off* at 10.00am local time today, apparently due to the visitors having a plane to catch. I wonder if a European, or other top level game, has ever kicked off earlier?

*Technically it was a resumption from the 26th minute so they only played 65 minutes.

[Capybara]

jameswba sometimes posts about early kick-offs in Slovakia, I believe.

[Southport Zeb]

In 2003 Ronaldinho made his Barcelona debut in a match that kicked off at 12:05am. Barcelona had been told by the league that they had to play the match on a specific day, which was the same day that players had to be released to their international teams for matches the following weekend. Barcelona decided to play as early as possible, in the hope that international mangers would allow their players to play the club match.

[Sporting]

In 2003 Ronaldinho made his Barcelona debut in a match that kicked off at 12:05am. Barcelona had been told by the league that they had to play the match on a specific day, which was the same day that players had to be released to their international teams for matches the following weekend. Barcelona decided to play as early as possible, in the hope that international mangers would allow their players to play the club match.

Ronaldinho scored a great goal too; can't link from my phone.

[Giggler]

My first ever Bury game kicked off at 11am on the first day of the 1988/89 season because Wolves, the opponents that day, had wreaked havoc at Scarborough on the first day of the previous season. Bury won 3-1 and Jamie Hoyland's goal for Bury was therefore the first in the league that season. The match took place 31 years to the day before Bury were expelled from the league.

[Jobi1]

York played at Brighton at 11am on a Thursday morning after the end of the 95/96 season due to the original game being abandoned after protesting Brighton fans had invaded the pitch and pulled down the goals. Far from a leisurely early summer morning kickabout, York still actually needed a win to avoid relegation, which they duly got (I think Carlisle were the aggrieved party who went down instead). Wish I could have gone, but me and a couple of mates had to settle for listening through carefully concealed earphones at the back of double maths. The teacher was delighted that we seemed so unusually excited about quadratic equations that day.

[jameswba]

jameswba sometimes posts about early kick-offs in Slovakia, I believe.

Yes, it's a tradition with one or two clubs. Quite a few in the Czech 2nd tier start at 1015 or 1030, perhaps the best-known being Viktoria Zizkov, whose ground is one tram-stop from Prague's main railway station. Whereas they tend to play on Sundays, FK Trinec, across the republic in Silesia, favour 1015 on Saturdays.

The best-known example in Slovakia would be Artmedia Bratislava (of 5-0 vs Celtic fame), whose league games used to start at 1030 on Sundays. Their successor club, FC Petrzalka, keep up the tradition in today's 2nd tier.

I can't beat 10 am in senior football, though a lot of age-group ice-hockey starts earlier. Football too, I'd assume.

[Tony C]

If you thought terrace wit was the preserve of those cheeky Scousers...

[Tony C]

That's the earliest I've been to, anyway. I remember that game for a 30 yard screamer of a goal by Danny Miils - by my recollection the only decent contribution the big lump made during his whole time with City.

[colchestersid]

Up until 1978 West Ham usually played at home on Good Friday and it was always an 11am kick off. In 77/78 we beat Ipswich at home at 11am on Good Friday and Chelsea (also at home) the next day at 3pm

Previous year was the last when Easter was 3 games in 4 days - Friday, Saturday and Monday

Also up to 1959 Christmas Day was a home game with 11am kick off with a game on Boxing Day as well

[fatbear]

About half a dozen of the MLS Is Back matches in July kicked off at 2pm UK time, which was presumably 9am in US/Canada. I believe these were all behind closed doors though.

As well as Zizkov and Trinec, many of the Czech clubs in the third level kick-off at 10.15 Sunday. It is traditional to recover from too many beers on a Saturday by going to the football, having a Klobasa for breakfast, and a few more beers !

One tough ask was to get to Fulham to see Brighton play at 11.00 on New Year's Day, I think in 1988 - and we won 2-1 and went on to be promoted. At one point Brighton had only won 4 League matches at Fulham ( out of about 30 ) but had been promoted every season this had happened. We have since won there and not been promoted, but it is still a very rare event, and we even lost 2-4 two seasons ago when Fulham got relegated and won only 26 points all season.....

I also remember a Boxing Day match at home to Palace in the mid 1980s that kicked off at 11.15

[Sporting]

Ronaldinho scored a great goal too; can't link from my phone.

Here:

[Foot of Astaire's]

Our first ever fixture at Wigan. 11am on boxing day in 1983. Won 1-0 thanks to a rare header from Jeff Chandler.

At least it was local. Over 10 years later the football league gave us another 11am fixture on boxing day. At Southend!

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

York played at Brighton at 11am on a Thursday morning after the end of the 95/96 season due to the original game being abandoned after protesting Brighton fans had invaded the pitch and pulled down the goals. Far from a leisurely early summer morning kickabout, York still actually needed a win to avoid relegation, which they duly got (I think Carlisle were the aggrieved party who went down instead). Wish I could have gone, but me and a couple of mates had to settle for listening through carefully concealed earphones at the back of double maths. The teacher was delighted that we seemed so unusually excited about quadratic equations that day.

I was going to mention that but couldn't remember the exact kick off time - I've mentioned it on here before, Radio Cumbria did full live commentary of the match and I took a radio into work to listen to it. I worked in Scotland at the time but my boss was also a Carlisle fan (and had his own radio in his office) so it was all cool. Apart from the outcome of course, but we got over it eventually.

[fatbear]

I seem to remember a New Year's Day 11am kick-off in the 1990s of Carlisle vs Torquay, with a number of Torquay fans travelling up early to see in the New Year in Carlisle.......

[cantagalo]

Each week, Brazil has a Serie A game which kicks off at 11am on a Sunday.

This was introduced 5 or 6 years ago and at the time I thought it was a daft decision but it proved quite popular and attendances were generally higher than average.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

I seem to remember a New Year's Day 11am kick-off in the 1990s of Carlisle vs Torquay, with a number of Torquay fans travelling up early to see in the New Year in Carlisle.......

That doesn't ring any bells, although we did play them the Saturday before Christmas in 2003. Carlisle were away at Gillingham on New Year's Eve once, and think that kicked off early so that our travelling fans and players (the latter maybe outnumbering the former) had a fighting chance of getting back for midnight.

[Amor de Cosmos]

11:00am kick-offs around Christmas were pretty routine in the early 60s, especially if clubs didn't have floodlights. I saw several Athenian League Boxing Day/New Years Day matches at that time.

[jameswba]

As well as Zizkov and Trinec, many of the Czech clubs in the third level kick-off at 10.15 Sunday. It is traditional to recover from too many beers on a Saturday by going to the football, having a Klobasa for breakfast, and a few more beers !

It's perhaps even more of a Czech than Slovak thing, though there are examples of lower-league clubs here too. I was at a 1030 third tier game just last week.

Pardubice are another Czech side that used to have 1015 Saturday starts, but that will presumably stop now that they've been promoted to the top league.

Trinec is only a 45-minute train ride from where I am, and a trip there on a chilly morning has long been one of my autumn highlights. Little chance of it this year, sadly.

[Jobi1]

Up until 1978 West Ham usually played at home on Good Friday and it was always an 11am kick off. In 77/78 we beat Ipswich at home at 11am on Good Friday and Chelsea (also at home) the next day at 3pm

My dad, living in London in the 70s, still delights in the story of how that West Ham tradition once enabled him to go to three league games in one day. Not something I imagine I'll ever manage to achieve.

[Jumbo McGinnis]

My dad, living in London in the 70s, still delights in the story of how that West Ham tradition once enabled him to go to three league games in one day. Not something I imagine I'll ever manage to achieve.

Proper League games would be tough. I reckon you could do Orient U18’s at 10-11 (they seem to kick off between these times), Orient or a East London non-league team (a Redbridge, Barkingside, Clapton etc) at 3 and then West Ham in the late kick-off if the fixtures fell kindly.

[Capybara]

My dad, living in London in the 70s, still delights in the story of how that West Ham tradition once enabled him to go to three league games in one day. Not something I imagine I'll ever manage to achieve.

That would need to be Orient with a 3pm kick-off presumably, with a 7.30 or 7.45 elsewhere in London later on? Shorter half-times in those days would have helped. I did three games in a day for the CONIFA tournament a couple of years ago. 12, 3 and 8 kicks-off.

[fatbear]

That doesn't ring any bells, although we did play them the Saturday before Christmas in 2003. Carlisle were away at Gillingham on New Year's Eve once, and think that kicked off early so that our travelling fans and players (the latter maybe outnumbering the former) had a fighting chance of getting back for midnight.

Apologies, it was Exeter not Torquay, and it was Jan 2nd ( in 1999 ), and probably a 3pm kick off. But apart from that........

[Jobi1]

That would need to be Orient with a 3pm kick-off presumably, with a 7.30 or 7.45 elsewhere in London later on? Shorter half-times in those days would have helped. I did three games in a day for the CONIFA tournament a couple of years ago. 12, 3 and 8 kicks-off.

Helpfully, he can't actually remember what the games were, although he's pretty sure the evening game was at Arsenal.