[Archived] Pub Match Courtcase

[only2garners]

This is bad news for all of us hoping to get local pubs from showing Rovers matches live on foreign satellite channels...

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article357239.ece

[Dan Furness]

Happy days.

If they are paying its not as bad as illegally viewing, good on him for finding the loophole. Football is slowly becoming a dying breed with many sick to the back teeth of being ripped of.

Im not agreeing for home games, but away games its ideal

[Manchester Blue]

Hopefully this will pave the way for all games to be live at 3pm. That way we won't have silly kick off times and people have the choice to go to the pub or thr ground. It works in other countries so why not here.

[Dan Furness]

Hopefully this will pave the way for all games to be live at 3pm.  That way we won't have silly kick off times and people have the choice to go to the pub or thr ground.  It works in other countries so why not here.

398547[/snapback]

Good point, it shows they cant have it all their own way

[Eddie]

Bad news in my opinion. Legal foreign tv in every pub and one less reason to go to the match itself.

[Paul]

Hopefully this will pave the way for all games to be live at 3pm.  That way we won't have silly kick off times and people have the choice to go to the pub or thr ground.  It works in other countries so why not here.

398547[/snapback]

Gets my vote and it is probably the only solution.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

'The ruling by Judge Robert Warnock at Bolton Crown Court could open the way for tens of thousands of licensees to screen Premiership games on Saturday afternoons.'

Bad news for a club like Rovers with a limited fanbase.

Edited April 12, 2006 by SIMON GARNERS 194

[trueblue]

Gets my vote and it is probably the only solution.

398555[/snapback]

Unless we petition Sky to only televise our away games

[thenodrog]

'The ruling by Judge Robert Warnock at Bolton Crown Court could open the way for tens of thousands of licensees to screen Premiership games on Saturday afternoons.'

Bad news for a club like Rovers with a limited fanbase.

398556[/snapback]

Spot on SG! A death knell for our Premiership future. How many of those agreeing with this will bother going to the Rovers when they heve eventually succumbed to gravity and are down amongst the dead men?

[3rdpillar]

Excellent!

This will take billions out of the game......this means the likes of Glazier and the mancs will not have such a large commercial advatage over smaller clubs...cause the money wont be there!!!!! Ah AHH!!

[Hughesy]

Very bad news!! I cant believe so many people on here are happy with the decision.

[Jan]

Very bad news!! I cant believe so many people on here are happy with the decision.

398562[/snapback]

Simple

They're the "pretend" fans who go to the pub instead of the game!

[bellamy11]

Very bad news!! I cant believe so many people on here are happy with the decision.

398562[/snapback]

Spot on, Hughesy. One team's away game is another team's home game. I won't pretend I've never watched a game on dodgy TV, but there are some people who believe it is reprehensible for pubs to show the home games and bloody brilliant that they show the away games. The law is the law - and having our games on dodgy Sky doesn't help our club in any way, shape or form.

[3rdpillar]

"Very bad news!! I cant believe so many people on here are happy with the decision. " Hughesy.......

Read why some may think its a good thing....not all about staying in the pub.

[speeeeeeedie]

I'm leaning toward those who support the ruling. People who want to go to games will do so, the casual fan who would prefer to spend their money in the boozer instead of the ground would probably not go anyway. Football is now more social for some; they can feel proud to watch a game in the pub on dodgy TV as it gives them some kudos. I have reason to believe that showing all games live at 3pm would help matters. Sky could still get their Sunday game as midweek European nights have a lag or they could be allowed 1 promotional fixture a week to be billed as such.

As usual on TV matters I'll defer to the NFL; Sky's model for making as much cash as possible. American Football clubs make oodles from TV who show all games at the same time (there's two times actually to account for time zones - not a UK problem). Depending on where you live determines the game you see. There is one game late on Sunday for TV and one on Monday night; that's it. Stadiums are full up every week too.

Why don't Sky show 9 games on Saturday at 3pm, one per Sky channel set aside for it, then they build up the Sunday game. There are enough cup competitions/midweek/ football league games to keep Sky ticking over before the weekend starts again. I also like the idea that home game is blacked out within home areas but that could cause problems. If BRFC are at home anyone within a, say, 20 mile radius of the ground has their Sky box shut off for the channel showing the game. When they are away the box will show the game. What would happen in cities with more than 1 prem team though (eg. Manchester)? Also, would the Football League kick up a fuss? Could they get a bit extra from the Sky money to keep them happy?

Something has just struck me. The Premier League started in 1992. Since then Sky has bombarded us with football match after football match. People who are 18-22 (the new drinkers/fans who can go on their own) grew up with live football all the time on TV. I'm not much older than them but can remember the days where there was only the odd game on a Sunday. It started to change when Elton Welsby fronted "The Match" on ITV. The new fans that clubs are trying to attract have had a far greater access to TV football their whole lives. Anyone 30 and over grew up with not as much football and as such went to stadiums to see a game. This is not the norm nor is it thought about by the up and comers. In order to keep the game alive TV needs to take over, evetually fans will start going back if it is promoted well enough and priced properly.

[den]

Televising all rovers games would inflict serious financial harm to the club. It could do no good whatsoever in the opinion of people involved in the game.

Don't get too worked up about those rulings either, they are just a couple of blips. The fact is that Sky hold the copyright to the games and it's illegal for the pubs to show them. Pubs all over the country are being prosecuted successfully.

[Lee]

Speeeeeedie, aren't there match blackouts in the hometowns of games that are shown live to stop games being broadcasts and attendances being affected?

[Ronin]

Why don't Sky show 9 games on Saturday at 3pm, one per Sky channel set aside for it, then they build up the Sunday game. There are enough cup competitions/midweek/ football league games to keep Sky ticking over before the weekend starts again.

398593[/snapback]

Would agree with that. Be good to go back to the days of games all kicking off at the same time. But Sky bankrolls the Premiership and changes fixtures whenever they feel like it it seems.

[speeeeeeedie]

Speeeeeedie, aren't there match blackouts in the hometowns of games that are shown live to stop games being broadcasts and attendances being affected?

398600[/snapback]

Yes Lee they are. I've only seen it a couple of times "live" as I don't live in an area with a pro sports team. What happens is that if the crowd is a certain size the game is shown, if the crowd doesn't meet the limit you get a black screen on your TV if you live in that city. But I think there are exceptions. American might know more.

[Manchester Blue]

Simple

They're the "pretend" fans who go to the pub instead of the game!

398563[/snapback]

For somebody who is supposed to be intelligient you don't half come out with some childish pathetic arguments at times. There are many reasons why having all games on tv would not be a bad thing. Do a bit of research instead of just spouting rubbish.

[den]

There are many reasons why having all games on tv would not be a bad thing. 

398613[/snapback]

You surprise me there MB. If all rovers games were to be shown live on Sky next season, how do you think that would affect ST sales. Do you reckon we would sell more, or fewer season tickets?

[speeeeeeedie]

You surprise me there MB.  If all rovers games were to be shown live on Sky next season, how do you think that would affect ST sales. Do you reckon we would sell more, or fewer season tickets?

398616[/snapback]

I reckon we'd sell roughly the same. The people who want to go will go and have been going for years. The disaffected lager swilling youth would rather go to the pub and complain than pay to get cold.

[Jan]

For somebody who is supposed to be intelligient you don't half come out with some childish pathetic arguments at times.  There are many reasons why having all games on tv would not be a bad thing.  Do a bit of research instead of just spouting rubbish.

398613[/snapback]

Why would it be good that revenue that SHOULD come to the club (ie gate receipts from fans attending) is going into pub landlords' tills? Name one good reason why having a home game shown live in the pub next door to the ground would be good for Rovers.

I don't really care if it's good for the "fans" - 'cos they're not fans.

By the way I am making the radical assumption that the ground is not sold out here. Obviously if the ground is sold out and it's shown as an overflow ONLY after the ground's sold out- that would be ok.

[den]

I reckon we'd sell roughly the same. The people who want to go will go and have been going for years. The disaffected lager swilling youth would rather go to the pub and complain than pay to get cold.

398617[/snapback]

So why do gates fall when games are televised - they don't rise do they? Televising all the rovers games is a dead cert for reducing gates. I can't see it any other way.

[Manchester Blue]

We would sell less no doubt, however so would every other club and along with that the wages of players would have to drop. Something has to change and the televising of all games is inevitable. I prefer to watch games at the ground, others wouldn't but let them have the choice that is legal. Sky would lose their monopoly and the amount of money coming into the game would be slashed.

In actual fact it is hypothetical because I can't see Sky sitting back and accepting this. You wouldn't expect them to sit back and allow companies to just to undercut them. If it was done properly i.e. having a blackout in a 30 mile radius of the ground then having live coverage of all games doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Just because we are having a good season people shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the game is struggling and needs change. It requires imagination rather than making knee-jerk reactions to situations and labelling people with different opnions as not 'proper' fans they should take the time to look into things.