Leeds United head coach Steve Evans has said that he understands why club owner Massimo Cellino tried to cause a television black-out for the Whites' Championship match against Derby County last night in protest over how many times the club's fixtures have been moved for Sky Sports coverage.
Sky staff usually set up ahead of a live TV game a day in advance, but they were only let in to Elland Road five hours before kickoff yesterday as Leeds "reluctantly" relented after being threatened with a "full range" of Football League sanctions.
Cellino believes that the changes to kickoff times hurts attendances and disrupts players, staff and fans and that he is "trying to protect" the club.
Speaking after a 2-2 draw with high-flying Derby County, Evans told reporters: "I understand the two sides of the argument.
"I understand any broadcaster's wish to have Leeds United on the TV because of the audience it brings.
"I'm only talking from a sporting perspective here, but you can't ask us to be away at Wolves on a Thursday night and get back in the middle of the night and turn up on a Sunday down at Nottingham Forest, a really tough place on an evening, 48 hours later."
Evans believes that Leeds would have held out for three points had last night's match taken place 24 hours later.
He added: "I want the Leeds United supporters to watch fresh Leeds United players, to watch players who are really inside their skins and not in for rub-downs two or three times yesterday and two or three times during the course of today, just to try and give their limbs the energy to get out there.
"If you put this game on 24 hours from now we would have seen the last 15 minutes out.
"I don't doubt that. I watched in the lead up to their [equalising] goal and Derby had players breaking off us, completely fresh and my players are running on empty fuel tanks."
A point against the Rams saw 12th-placed Leeds extend their unbeaten run to six matches.
Pascal Lemesre
