Watching future Sheffield derbies at the weekend could soon be a thing of the past.
South Yorkshire Police has written to the EFL to ask for future games between Wednesday and Sheff U to take place on week nights.
The request has come to light after Sky announced that the next derby, due to be played at Hillsborough on Saturday, March 2, has now been moved to Monday, March 4, for live TV coverage.
The first derby of the seas0n, at Bramall Lane, was played on a Friday night.
In a statement, South Yorkshire’s Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts said about the policing levels required for such games: “We must balance this type of operation and the resource it requires against our resilience to provide a service to the wider public of South Yorkshire, to ensure that everyone continues to receive the support and response they quite rightly expect from their local police.”
He added that he had told the EFL that “this support is achievable and sustainable if derby fixtures take place on week nights” and that consultation will continue throughout the season.