Albion's Boxing Day knockout at The Amex has been branded an embarrassment by Gus Poyet.

The manager has voiced his frustration over the postponement of the traditional fixture against Millwall, which is now being played eight days early.

Albion announced the switch earlier this month because of travel and safety concerns.

No trains or buses are running on Boxing Day and more than threequarters of fans travel to The Amex by public transport.

Albion consulted local police, fire and ambulance services, as well as the Football League, over the change but Poyet is unimpressed.

The Uruguayan told The Argus: “It’s absolutely embarrassing, with every single person in this country convinced that Boxing Day is the most important date in football. Somehow we are not able to play and it shows it depends who it suits.

“If it suits the fans everyone would say we should play, if it doesn’t suit the bus drivers or trains or what ever it is we cannot play.

“So, at the end of the day, from my point of view it’s once more people picking and choosing what is good for themselves and not what is good for football or the country, for history.

“It's very individual, really really selfish I would say, and it shows you don’t have to (play on Boxing Day).

“From 1997, when I came to England, people say you have to play on Boxing Day. Well we cannot play on Boxing Day, so don’t tell me I have to when I cannot.”

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