THE Football League fixture department – is it manned by a robot or by a human? – appears to have little consideration for supporters.

Surely, anyone who cares about them would not have arranged for Newcastle United to play at Brighton and Reading on successive Tuesdays.

As one fan tweeted: “I will be spending more time on the road than I will be at work.”

In between the long midweek treks, the Toon Army have a visit to Huddersfield to look forward to on Saturday.

Yet, amazingly, Newcastle fans will come south in their thousands.

It makes you wonder if there is a better group of football fans anywhere in the country.

The Magpies sold all their allocation of 2,700 tickets for their rearranged clash at title-rivals Brighton this week despite the game being screened live on Sky.

They left St James’ Park at 9.30am for the 692-mile round trip to the south coast.

Fans can get out of bed a little later next Tuesday as the coaches bound for Madejski Stadium are not scheduled to depart until 11am.

Yet, incredibly, Newcastle report they have sold all the 3,900 tickets they were given by Reading.

It will be almost dawn before they arrive back home and if Reading win, the journey will feel even longer.

  • AS previously revealed in this column, Reading Hockey Club have not seen the sight of an Olympic gold medal at Sonning Lane despite the fact three of their former stars played in Rio.

But that changed on Saturday when Alex Danson brought hers along when she played for Clifton Robinsons against the Blues in the Investec League.

During the game, which her side won 3-2, she left the medal in the safe keeping of the mum of team-mate Sarah Ellis, another ex-Reading player.

Alex said it was a day of “mixed emotions”, adding: “It was really nice to play against Reading as I know most of the girls. I was pleased to be on the winning side, but all credit to Reading, they played brilliantly.”

She was one of four GB stars who received their MBE at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.