Preston North End’s Boxing Day clash with Carlisle United has been moved forward to 1pm from 3pm on ‘public safety’ grounds.
After several weeks of dialogue around the fixture, the decision has been made at the request of Cumbria Police.
Ben Rhodes, the Club’s general manager was disappointed with the decision, explaining: “We received a first request for this fixture to be moved about six weeks ago. Since that time we have been in dialogue with Carlisle United and Cumbria Police to understand their reasons for their request.
“The decision has been taken on ‘public safety’ grounds. The Football League, in that instance cannot deny a Police force’s request and therefore despite our representations to Carlisle and the police, the decision has been made to bring the game forward.
“We hope that the decision does not inconvenience too many of our supporters and that we can have a fantastic following on Boxing Day.”