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Man United captain Wayne Rooney and Villa's Irish defender Ciaran Clark. Martin Rickett
Fixture List

Friday night football for Man United and Villa due to 'unique circumstances'

Villa Park will host the clubs on 14 August because of an English Defence League march the following day.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S PREMIER League fixture away to Aston Villa has been rescheduled to Friday, 14 August.

The clubs had been due to meet on the second Saturday of the new campaign but will now play a day earlier because the game would have clashed with a march through Birmingham by far-right group the English Defence League.

“The second match-round of the 2015-16 season includes Aston Villa v Manchester United scheduled for live broadcast on Sky Sports at 7.45pm on Friday 14 August 2015,” a Premier League statement reads.

“A Saturday 5.30pm kick-off was initially suggested for this match and West Midlands police confirmed that, under normal circumstances, that would be acceptable.

“However, due to a planned English Defence League march that will take place in the region on Saturday 15 August, and will require police resource, they requested that the Premier League consider avoiding scheduling the match on that date. Manchester United’s participation in the Champions League, and a potential European match the following Tuesday, means that a Sunday slot could not be scheduled with any certainty.”

While this match is a once-off, Premier League games will be shown regularly on Friday nights from the 2016-17 season as part of the new television deal.

The televised fixtures for August and September were also revealed today. They are as follows:

Saturday 8 August

  • 12.45pm – Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (BT Sport)
  • 5.30pm – Chelsea v Swansea City (Sky Sports) 

Sunday 9 August

  • 1.30pm – Arsenal v West Ham United (Sky Sports) 
  • 4pm – Stoke City v Liverpool (Sky Sports)

Monday 10 August

  • 8pm – West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City (Sky Sports) 

Friday 14 August

  • 7.45pm – Aston Villa v Manchester United (Sky Sports)

Saturday 15 August

  • 12.45pm – Southampton v Everton (BT Sport) 

Sunday 16 August

  • 1.30pm – Crystal Palace v Arsenal (Sky Sports) 
  • 4pm – Manchester City v Chelsea (Sky Sports) 

Monday 17 August

  • 8pm – Liverpool v AFC Bournemouth (Sky Sports) 

Saturday 22 August

  • 12.45pm – Manchester United v Newcastle United (BT Sport)

Sunday 23 August

  • 1.30pm – West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea (Sky Sports) 
  • 4pm – Everton v Manchester City (Sky Sports) 

Monday 24 August

  • 8pm – Arsenal v Liverpool (Sky Sports) 

Saturday 29 August

  • 12.45pm – Newcastle United v Arsenal (BT Sport) 
  • 5.30pm – Tottenham Hotspur v Everton (Sky Sports)

Sunday 30 August

  • 1.30pm – Southampton v Norwich City (Sky Sports) 
  • 4pm – Swansea City v Manchester United (Sky Sports) 

See September’s televised matches here

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