Man United fans face travel chaos as Crystal Palace clash handed rare 7pm Sunday kick-off

Manchester United supporters travelling to Selhurst Park in December face a serious logistical problem after their Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace was scheduled for a 7pm Sunday evening kick-off, with the last train from London Euston to Manchester departing at 8.53pm — well before the final whistle.

The unusual slot means a game finishing close to 9pm leaves fans with little choice but to drive back to the north-west late at night or book overnight accommodation in London, potentially requiring a day off work on the Monday.

The scheduling is a knock-on consequence of Crystal Palace’s Europa Conference League commitments. The Eagles are due to face Jagiellonia in Poland on the Thursday of that week, and the compressed recovery window has pushed their weekend fixture to the Sunday evening slot rather than the more conventional Saturday afternoon or lunchtime broadcast window.

United fans will be back in the capital just seven days later for a 4.30pm Sunday trip to Arsenal at the Emirates, before the Premier League moves into its demanding festive schedule.

Over the Christmas and New Year period, United’s fixtures are at least kinder to travelling supporters. They host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on 27 December before welcoming Sunderland three days later.

The club had been among those pressing the Premier League and broadcasters to confirm December’s televised fixtures as early as possible, precisely to give supporters adequate time to arrange travel and accommodation. The Christmas period is traditionally the most difficult stretch of the calendar for away fans, with reduced public transport services, limited hotel availability, and heightened competition for tickets all compounding the challenge.

The 7pm Sunday slot is among the rarest in the English football calendar, and the combination of its timing and Selhurst Park’s location in south London — a significant distance from Euston — makes this particular fixture one of the most logistically punishing of the season for United’s travelling support.