Compared to the Premier League, fans of Championship clubs get off lightly when it comes to disruption of the fixture list.

Of course, the financial rewards from Sky are a fraction of what the broadcaster pays to top-flight sides.

Charlton’s game at the DW Stadium has been brought forward 24 hours to Friday 20 February to accommodate Wigan’s co-tenants at the DW, rugby league side, Wigan Warriors.

The Warriors were runners-up in the Super League Grand Final last month and are scheduled to play Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge on the original date of the Wigan v Charlton fixture.

Sky will show the Wigan Warriors game live and the Warriors will obviously get a sizeable fee from the broadcaster.

The big losers are the Addicks fans who follow the team up and down the country every week. Instead of a relatively simple – if lengthy – journey on the Saturday, they now face a nightmare trip the previous day.

The M6 on a Friday afternoon is nobody’s idea of fun. Those travelling by car or coach will now have to take time off work to get to the game, and will not get back home until the early hours of Saturday morning.

For those that prefer to travel by train, an overnight stay will be required, as it is not possible to get back to London until the following morning.

Charlton were backed by a healthy travelling support of 729 at the DW last season but it would be surprising if half that number attend the game in February.

Money rules sport these days of course, but English football is such an attraction around the world because of the passion of our game and away fans play a major part in that.

It would be nice if the authorities gave some thought to the ‘customers’ – the away fans – that will make the effort to get to the game despite being hugely inconvenienced.

Free admission to the travelling Addicks would be a nice gesture.