Arsenal will offer refund to non-season ticket holders for rearranged Leicester City match

Supporters of both clubs made complaints following Sky’s decision to change the game’s date for live broadcast just three weeks before its original date.

Arsenal supporters celebrate following a victory at the Emirates (Getty Images)

Arsenal will offer a refund to non-season ticket holders who are unable to attend the rearranged home league meeting with Leicester City.

Supporters of both clubs made complaints following Sky’s decision to change the game’s date for live broadcast just three weeks before its original date.

The fixture was scheduled to kick-off at 3pm on Saturday 13 February but will now take place the following day, Sunday 14 February at 12.00pm.

The broadcaster’s decision was made without the consultation of either club.

“Any Arsenal supporter who has purchased an individual match ticket from the club who is unable to attend is entitled to a full refund,” an Arsenal spokesperson told the Evening Standard.

The Premier League usually gives six weeks’ notice before rearranging matches for television, as the organisation disclosed in a statement last night.

"We always seek to give fans a minimum of six weeks' notice of any fixture changes.” the statement read.

“It is only on extremely rare occasions we don't meet that aspiration during the normal course of the season.

"We are currently in discussions with Arsenal and Leicester City to see what can be done to help fans affected by this scheduling change."

Leicester have sold out their allocation of 3,016 tickets, though many fans have now been forced to change their plans. A section of the club’s support intends to boycott the first five minutes of the match in protest.

“All football fans are inconvenienced at times and it has sadly become part of our game,” said supporters group Union FS in a statement.

“But in our opinion the actions of Sky Sports on this occasion have gone too far for us not to take action.

“Why? To make a point that without fans, there is no saleable product. Just 22 blokes kicking a ball around on some nicely cut grass. We would encourage Arsenal fans to join us with this, as they graciously did with Bayern Munich fans recently.

“We appreciate that fans want to watch the game they have paid for, and rightly so, but this is an extraordinary issue and we would ask you to join us and make a one-off stand for all football fans.”