SCREW THE LITTLE CLUBS

Last updated : 02 April 2003 By Editor

Peter Kenyon wants United matches to be televised at 3pm on a Saturday. Under current rules matches cannot be televised at that time due to the impact it might have on smaller clubs. A lot of lower league clubs rely on money from the turnstiles to keep them afloat and televised Premiership matches at 3pm Saturday would almost certainly lead to lower attendances at clubs like Bury.

Kenyon said:

"It is important to note that the European rule over Saturday afternoon matches being broadcast is left to the host Football Association to decide whether to implement or not,"

"Of the five main countries in Europe - England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy - we are the only ones who operate a blackout period.

"In this ever-changing world, it is an area which has to be looked at and is one of the issues that will be addressed in negotiations for the next television deal."

As much as it would be nice to get our 3pm kick offs back let's hope it doesn't come at the expense of a few struggling clubs.

United will also be looking to sell their international TV rights independently when talks for a new contract are opened.

"We are committed to collective agreements for the domestic market but, at the same time, you cannot ignore the European trend for clubs to get their own content back," he said.

"When you look at our international fan base, it gives us a good opportunity to grow our revenue streams from that area."

Money, money, money

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