Rangers supporters justified in their anger after latest Sky Sports announcement.

Rangers supporters have another reason to complain about the scheduling of their team’s matches after the club confirmed that the away fixture against Dundee United has been moved from its traditional Saturday afternoon slot. The match, originally arranged for a 3pm kick-off on January 9, will now begin at 5:30pm after being selected for live television coverage by Sky Sports.

The latest change continues a pattern that has become increasingly familiar to supporters this season. Rangers have repeatedly seen their fixtures moved away from the time many fans traditionally expect for a Saturday league match. The 3pm kick-off has become a rare sight, with evening starts and other television-friendly times appearing far more frequently in the club’s schedule.

The announcement was confirmed by Rangers on Friday afternoon. The trip to Dundee United will now take place at 5:30pm, rather than the original 3pm time. Sky Sports has chosen the fixture for live coverage, meaning supporters will once again have to adjust their arrangements to accommodate a revised start.

The frustration is not necessarily about this individual change. Instead, it reflects the number of times Rangers have been asked to rearrange their plans because of fixture amendments.

The figures underline why the announcement has caused a reaction. Rangers have played 17 matches so far this season, but only three have taken place in the traditional Saturday 3pm slot. That means the familiar kick-off has accounted for only a small proportion of their campaign to date.

The club’s recent schedule has included a Saturday 8pm start, which was the time allocated for the 2-0 victory away to St Mirren before the international break. That late kick-off has added to the feeling among supporters that the usual Saturday afternoon time is becoming increasingly unusual.

Rangers are also due to play Motherwell at 8pm on a Saturday in a little over a week. That means the Dundee United announcement is not an isolated example, with another evening fixture already approaching. Supporters who have become accustomed to late starts may feel that the latest television selection simply extends a pattern that has been developing throughout the season.

There is, however, a Saturday 3pm fixture on the immediate horizon. Rangers are scheduled to host Falkirk at that time on November 28. It will be only the fourth occasion this season that the team has been given that traditional slot.

That match is particularly notable because it is currently the only Saturday 3pm kick-off among Rangers’ next 12 fixtures. The Dundee United game had been due to provide another opportunity for supporters to attend a match at the customary time, but the television change has removed it from that list.

The situation has prompted questions about why Rangers appear to have so few Saturday afternoon matches. One possible explanation is the club’s absence from European competition. Celtic, by contrast, are often required to play domestic matches on Sundays because of their involvement in European fixtures during the week.

That difference may help explain some of the scheduling choices, although it does not necessarily make the repeated changes any less frustrating for Rangers supporters. Television broadcasters also have a role in selecting matches for live coverage, and the Dundee United fixture has been moved to accommodate Sky Sports.

For supporters, the reasons behind the decisions may matter less than the practical consequences. Fans who travel to away games need time to plan journeys, while those attending home matches also have commitments outside football. A fixture change can affect train bookings, bus arrangements, work schedules and other plans, particularly when the announcement comes after supporters have already made arrangements.

The 5:30pm start at Dundee United may be manageable for many, but the wider concern is the lack of Saturday 3pm fixtures across the season. Supporters have become used to seeing Rangers play at different times, and there is little indication that the pattern will end soon. Further amendments could still be announced as broadcasters make their selections.

Rangers fans will therefore be hoping that more matches can remain in the traditional slot as the campaign progresses. For now, the trip to Dundee United has joined a growing list of fixtures moved for television, while the home game against Falkirk remains the only Saturday 3pm appointment among the next 12 matches.

The latest announcement may not be the most disruptive kick-off change Rangers supporters could face, but it has renewed a familiar complaint. With only three of their first 17 matches played at 3pm on a Saturday, fans have a clear reason to feel that the traditional fixture time is disappearing from their calendar for many travelling supporters across the country today.