West Ham Could Play 3 Matches in 5 Days After Safety Concerns Forced Fixture Change

West Ham could have to prepare to play three matches in the space of just five days at the turn of the new year, due to mounting concerns over safety at New Year's Eve. 

The Premier League made an official statement where they revealed that the fixture between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham would be moved from the 31st of December to 8pm on Thursday the 4th of January.

This change was made due to the Safety Advisory Group at Wembley Stadium recommending that only 43,000 fans be allowed to attend the game. Local tube stations and transport issues across London on New Year's Eve forced this decision. Had the match gone ahead on that date, West Ham would have only been allocated 2,000 seats.

For Spurs, this means they will be forced to travel to Wales to play Swansea City on Tuesday 2nd January and then return to London to face West Ham just 48 hours later. For fans looking to attend both fixtures, that means a 360 mile round trip to make over two weekdays. 

West Ham face a similar issue, and are also scheduled to play on Tuesday the 2nd against West Brom. The good news for Hammers fans at least is that both fixtures will take place in London. 

The FA Cup third round is scheduled to begin on the weekend of the 6th and 7th of January. This could mean that West Ham or Tottenham may be forced to play three matches within five days. 

The Christmas football schedule is also pretty hectic for Premier League clubs. But for Spurs and West Ham it is set to get a lot busier. Both clubs will be playing five matches over a two week period.