The Premier League clash between Brighton and Crystal Palace scheduled for 17 September at the Amex Stadium has been postponed as a result of rail strikes.
Planned industrial action will have a major knock-on effect on fans with no public transport available. But while both clubs were hoping to find a suitable solution that would still allow the game to go ahead on that date, the recommendation of the Safety Advisory Group is to postpone it with the support of the Premier League.
“While we fully appreciate this will be of huge disappointment to both sets of fans, and causes disruption to both teams’ fixture schedules as well as those of supporters, the safety of fans of both clubs, our matchday staff, players and officials must be the priority,” Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said in a statement published by the club.
“We have taken into consideration how difficult it would be for fans of both clubs to attend the match without access to the rail network and we looked at a number of options and various contingency plans.
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“This included additional travel options or moving the match to earlier or later in the same week, with Sunday afternoon the latest the fixture could be played on that weekend due to the international break, but it simply was not possible to play the match with a full capacity crowd in attendance.
“We apologise for the inconvenience this may have caused fans of both teams, but we feel that the right decision has been reached. We would also like to thank Crystal Palace, the Premier League and the authorities for their support in this matter.”
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