retired_kjcurnyn

Sorry, but Setanta haven't changed anything. They got to take over the games that were on prem plus pay per view.

So, if not for Setanta, they'd still be on at the same time, but at £8 a pop.

alidog

Not understanding why this would have any effect on lower league football. Doubtless you've got a good reason for saying this and I might just be being thick, but I can't see it myself.

If I supported a lower league team then I'd go see that team no matter what. They'd be my club and any other match (Even if it's a 'big' game like Chelsea V Man U) would be secondary.

However as a fan of a Premier League club, I do admit that from time to time I have attended lower league games (I used to go to Hillheads to watch Whitley Bay), but only when Newcastle aren't playing. If Newcastle are playing, be it on Sky or not, then I focus on that match. I'll watch it at the ground, in the pub, listen to it on the radio, hell I've even watched a match on teletext before because that was the only way I could get the score.

Are all fans not the same? (Obviously not) Do people really just think "Oh, I'm a Barnet fan and go to the matches, but what the hell I'll just stop in and watch Blackburn V Wigan today."? Is there that kind of apathy amongst people who claim to be football supporters? It's sad if that's the case.

Showing the match at 3pm on a saturday on Sky would make me no less likely to go to a lower league game. Other than that there might be slightly more Newcastle matches on Saturdays hence I couldn't physically go to a lower league game, but I don't think that would be often as we'd still have the Sunday/Monday games as well. It would just be "extra" televised football on a Saturday I'd imagine.

retired_vika

I personally don't like things like setanta or prem plus, I would much rather have one live game on a Sunday, maybe one live game on a Monday, and watch the rest on MOTD

retired_laticia3

Setanta is a step forward tbh. Half the people are getting it free and the other half pay a tenner a month for about 5 Premier League games, 5 SPL games, 3 Conference games and a handful of German, Portugese, Spanish, French and Dutch games. (opposed to £8 for 90 minutes)

Although I agree more games should be Saturday 3pm.

mattsaunders

Not understanding why this would have any effect on lower league football. Doubtless you've got a good reason for saying this and I might just be being thick, but I can't see it myself.

If I supported a lower league team then I'd go see that team no matter what. They'd be my club and any other match (Even if it's a 'big' game like Chelsea V Man U) would be secondary.

However as a fan of a Premier League club, I do admit that from time to time I have attended lower league games (I used to go to Hillheads to watch Whitley Bay), but only when Newcastle aren't playing. If Newcastle are playing, be it on Sky or not, then I focus on that match. I'll watch it at the ground, in the pub, listen to it on the radio, hell I've even watched a match on teletext before because that was the only way I could get the score.

Are all fans not the same? (Obviously not) Do people really just think "Oh, I'm a Barnet fan and go to the matches, but what the hell I'll just stop in and watch Blackburn V Wigan today."? Is there that kind of apathy amongst people who claim to be football supporters? It's sad if that's the case.

Showing the match at 3pm on a saturday on Sky would make me no less likely to go to a lower league game. Other than that there might be slightly more Newcastle matches on Saturdays hence I couldn't physically go to a lower league game, but I don't think that would be often as we'd still have the Sunday/Monday games as well. It would just be "extra" televised football on a Saturday I'd imagine. </BLOCKQUOTE>

to be honest, you're pretty naive if you really think that. go and watch Barnet, and see how many Arsenal shirts are in the crowd. Those people go to watch Barnet because they can't get tickets for Arsenal, or because Arsenal are playing on a different day. Likewise, how many fans of Stockport or Altrincham, for instance, are actually displaced fans of Man Utd or Citeh? And a lot of people would simply stay at home or stay in the pub if they coould watch a big game in the warmth, whoever it was that was playing.

Look at the fixtures for next weekend when England v Estonia is off at 3pm Saturday, and see how many lower league games have been switched to Friday night or Sunday, or pulled forward to lunchtime. I'd bet at least 50%. It's because the clubs know that a lot of fans simply won't come if they can watch a big game on TV at the same time.

Chesterfield, for instance, now play their night games on a Wednesday, not a Tuesday. Why? Because they felt that their midweek attendances were suffering because of the Champions League football on ITV.

retired_jasontheriot1970

Do you Brits not get the 3 o'clock game on Setanta 1 on Saturdays then no? Get Villa - West Ham here today

retired_bec8643

Setanta is a step forward tbh. Half the people are getting it free and the other half pay a tenner a month for about 5 Premier League games, 5 SPL games, 3 Conference games and a handful of German, Portugese, Spanish, French and Dutch games. (opposed to £8 for 90 minutes)

Although I agree more games should be Saturday 3pm. </BLOCKQUOTE>


But last year they could get them all for £50 ? This year it's £10 a month over a 9 month period plus £10 connection fee so you are talking £100.

mattsaunders

not officially, although lots of pubs show them illegally, and Sky don't seem to be able to do a lot about it

that's another threat to lower league attendances though... in fact Middlesbrough have seriously put that forward themselves this season as a reason for their low gates - apparently there are 60-odd pubs on Teeside that illegally show Boro's matches every weekend

hooper75

One of the main reasons I don't want too be in the premiership is because of silly kick off times like this.

retired_Pantora

TV dominates football far too much because of the money they offer

for example Luton are on sky next Monday because of it being international weekend so sky are showing some league 1 matches, we've hd 3 players called up for international duty and normally would be straight off to the league asking the game to be called off due to the missing players, this time however cause were on sky we haven't done so as the money is too much for us to turn down and sky wouldn't show the match if it was played on a differnet date.