Free to air vs Pay TV – A mismatch of the day

TIGER Woods roared back the years last night and almost pulled off a Major victory, remarkable for a golfer who has virtually been rebuilt in the last five years.

What do you mean you didn’t see it? Didn’t you watch it all on Facebook then on the streaming site Eleven Sports? No of course you didn’t because sports fans want TV broadcasts not to be huddled round their laptops.

The debate over free to air versus Pay TV has raged for more than decade in most sports and for almost three decades in football.

Sky Sports swiping of the new Premier League in 1992 did indeed herald ‘A Whole New Ball Game’ for football fans on the pitch and in front of their television sets.

Nothing much has changed, challengers have come and gone while BT Sport now appear to be on the pitch for good.

Not a single match since then has been free for all to enjoy, why should Sky give something away when the price they pay is so high?

Cricket has long fretted over the departure of the game almost completely to Sky in this country while golf bosses in the US were so determined this weekend’s PGA Championship wouldn’t get wall to wall coverage on Sky Sports dedicated golf channel they sold the rights to a fledgling streaming service.

But the rules of the game appear to be ‘boo Sky for pricing the beloved BBC/ITV out of the market’ when in truth it’s the attitude of our major terrestrial broadcasters to sport in the last 30 years which created the corporate giant Sky has become today.

Back in 1988, you got one English top flight match a week plus Match of the Day, very little Football League and barely anything below that. Now it’s at least four top flight games, multiple offerings from the Football League while the National League is covered in depth by BT Sport.

Sky’s investment made that possible, turned average players into millionaires and spawned the cash cow that is the Premier League. But equally it’s the Premier League who seek pound after extra pound when they sell the ‘Greatest League in the World’.

Surely one of the packages could be made available to a terrestrial broadcaster? After all CBS in the
US show games from the National Football League on Sunday afternoon while NBC take over in prime time.

The same goes for cricket, the ECB could make a package solely available for terrestrial viewers but choose to chase cash from Sky et al.

And then what about the terrestrial broadcasters themselves? While live sport starts at a specific time, its conclusion isn’t always fixed which gives the BBC its annual Wimbledon headache.

Remember the BBC and Channel 4 often went horse racing on Saturday afternoons during the test match, Channel 4 ended coverage of delayed test matches to show Hollyoaks and The Simpsons while last year’s BBC coverage of the US PGA Championship was done so cheaply it was a wonder we even saw the winning putt.

The only way this mismatch of the day can be resolved is if those at the top of these sports put people before vast profit and any new terrestrial kids on the block can commit to coverage as good as Pay TV provides now.

Not easy when budgets are squeezed and pressure to sell adverts is at its height.

So the next time someone with sport complains about the lack of free to air coverage ask yourself, what are they doing to achieve the right result?

Dear Arsene.....

THE ESTEEMED John Cross tells us in the Daily Mirror you want to ‘feel loved’ before you sign a new two year deal, a contract you will once again observe to the day I’m sure.

All true Gooners do love you Arsene, you are the greatest modern-day Arsenal manager and we have memories to cherish until our dying days. The first double including that phenomenal run to haul Manchester United’s 12 point lead in and of course 2002 when we won it in their backyard.

None of us will ever forget 2003/4, the unbeaten season during which you and the players delivered the best football I have ever seen from an Arsenal team.

Those were seasons where we felt everyone was aiming high, pushing each other to win, win and win again. Since then I suspect many Gooners including myself feel an attitude of ‘that’ll do’ is the message, much of it coming from you.

We understand moving home was a nightmare financially and meant we had to sell the best players, but please remember before the move us fans were told it wouldn’t affect the team.

We do appreciate your loyalty and understand others wanted to prize you away, but that doesn’t mean we will just accept things.

And we do appreciate Champions League football every year Arsene and the stadium you enabled to be built. Personally if the Emirates deal ever ends I would be happy for us to play at the AW Stadium

But too often in the Champions League we end up throwing it away against sides we should beat or rest players in the group stages and end up with a harder draw in the knockout phases.

Arsene, we also pay some of the highest ticket prices in the country so it’s massively galling to see our team get so close and throw things away.

The Carling Cup final in 2008, we should have beaten Birmingham out of sight yet we went into the game thinking it was won already. AC Milan were disposed of in the Champions League 3-0 at our place, just a shame we were 4-0 down from the first game!

Put simply, when the pressure is on, a lot of us now think an Arsenal team under you cannot handle it.

Last year we beat Manchester City at the Emirates to go top of the league at Christmas. We then won just two out of the next seven league games and went a month without a victory.

We don’t understand Arsene how Leicester, a team which was all but relegated the Christmas before, held it all together to win the league. A team we beat home and away.

We struggle to understand how the current very talented team isn’t running away with the league like Chelsea – under a manager in his first season in English football.

And Arsene, we don’t like the fact them lot down the road seem to be building a pretty decent team!

We have a huge, beautiful stadium, a cracking team which you have assembled but then we lose to Watford, go 3-0 down to Bournemouth and inch past Preston North End.

We are football fans Arsene, we are forever asking ourselves ‘Would this happen to Man United, Chelsea etc’ and nine times out of 10 it wouldn’t.

That’s why we are frustrated and yes angry with things. We don’t want ‘that’ll do’ mentality, we want the Arsenal of old, the flourishing football with an insane desire to win trophies.

You are your own man and make your own decisions Arsene and we will always respect that.

If this is the end though, please be assured all true Gooners, even your fiercest critics will stand and applaud as you leave and thank you for taking a football club in a right state when you arrived in 1996 and putting us among Europe’s elite.

We do love you Arsene, but we love Arsenal Football Club as well. It was here before us and it will outlast us all too.

Merci pour l’écoute

Abuse of Wenger is beyond contempt

ONCE again Arsene Wenger has been subjected to abuse at close quarters, this time a fan running into the dug out area to remonstrate with him.

Coupled with the vile, foul mouthed abuse from 'supporters' after the Stoke match last month and the Frenchman must fear the next time he leaves London.

At this point I will acknowledge I have called for him to go in the past but let me repeat for those who clearly can't read.

When I called for him to depart it was not to be sacked but a mutual parting at the end of the season to allow Wenger to be applauded into the centre circle and thanked for everything he has done for Arsenal FC.

Because what these morons who think it's OK to spout invective and bile don't understand is without Arsene Wenger, Arsenal may well be in League One by now. A club which stagnated after George Graham left and pushed into the dark ages when Bruce Rioch took charge.

Le Boss came, saw and conquered and has delivered many, many memories of which we are all rightfully proud. But that work and dedication, those trophies and glory days come with respect for the man who delivered them.

If and when he decides or the people running Arsenal decide it's time for a new chapter then we ought to replicate what Man United did for Sir Alex Ferguson, a guard of honour and a chance for the real fans to say thank you and goodbye.

Yes the league has been disappointing this season but we have an OK FA Cup draw and for once a nicer (not easier) second round Champions League draw. We all know how well Arsenal finish a season so who knows? This could yet be a good campaign.

Sacking him is wrong and completely unjustified. But there is another scenario bubbling away in the background now.

What if Wenger decides he's had enough and walks? Something for the morons to think about?

Mackay case shows football's failings

I HAD a bluebottle infestation in my wheelie bin the other week. Did I remove one and let the rest carry on? No I cleaned the whole bin....

Yet in football again a case of alleged sexism/racism/anti-semitism has reared up and the character assasination of one individual has begun.

Malky Mackay is now in the firing line and will probably be ostracised from football by the time we put up the Christmas decorations.

Now before I go on, if these texts are proven then Mackay, an otherwise articulate man should hang his head that his 'banter' comes straight from the drains.

But do we really think Mackay is the only British football manager sending such texts and having such discussions?

I'd put good money on a number of managers making sexual comments on a regular basis. I know of one current manager who left a previous job not because of mutual consent but because he quite fancied 'consent' with a married female.

Racism is a whole different matter but if Mackay believes this in private he certainly doesn't show it in public.

I've seen the phrase 'Wee Egyptian' used  to beat Mackay..really? Every Scot uses 'Wee' and Egyptian is actually someone's nationality...surely it can't be racist?

My point being though is we've been here before, sexism storm sees Richard Keys and Andy Gray go, racism sees Ron Atkinson sacked. Has football done anything about it? No, it's easier to have a storm then just make money again

We have to have a dividing line, either vet everyone and have them hand over every text they have ever sent or accept there is a line between public and private.

Is it right what Mackay is alleged to have sent? Of course not no. 

But football has to choose what it wants from it's people. If it truly wants to 'clean house' then it might be uncomfortable with what it finds...

Why it's not the end of the World for England

WE are out of the World Cup football is not coming home once again but sadly England are after their final group game with Costa Rica on Tuesday.

Inevitably it took less than 10 minutes before the post-mortem began, we have held so many now you think we would prepare them in advance.

‘We should have picked Terry’, ‘Ashley Cole should have gone’, ‘It’s all Roy Hodgson’s fault’ and ‘They don’t seem to care’ are just some of the comments I have seen.

Yet no one seems have to have noticed we have lost narrowly to the teams ranked seventh (Uruguay) and ninth (Italy) in the FIFA rankings – England are tenth by the way.

The truth of the matter is against Italy, a cavalier England were ruthlessly exposed down one side by a nation which makes a living on the tactical side of the game.

And against Uruguay, the South Americans had two shots on target and scored with both, England had several and scored with one. It twas always thus in football…

You have to wonder how the game would have panned out had Godin been shown a second yellow card for his arm/slap on Daniel Sturridge after the blatant handball.

That is not an excuse, watch the game again and see how many times Godin is involved in defensive situations.

Defensively, England have been dreadful in this tournament and rightly punished but going forward the team have a youthful zest and vigour not seen for a long while.

And I don’t remember Roy Hodgson ever saying we would win the World Cup, nor any of the players for that matter so let’s nail some of these criticisms of Hodgson and the team.

‘We should have picked Terry, he’s a leader’ – John Terry voluntarily gave up the chance to represent his country and anyone watching the Premier League this year will know that against pacey strikers he was often found wanting.

‘Ashley Cole should have gone’ – Ashley Cole couldn’t get into a Chelsea team which nearly won the Premier League this year so why should he start as first choice left back for the national team?

‘It’s all Roy Hodgson’s fault’ – After every major tournament we call for youth and a new approach, Roy did just that after Euro 2012 and slowly introduced the likes of Shaw, Sterling, Lallana and Berkley. Yet now he stands accused of doing too much too soon and ignoring experience at his peril.

No wonder we label it the ‘hardest job in the country’ because he cannot win whatever he does.

Hodgson remains the best man for the job, a coach who has travelled the world and knows more about the world game than any other ‘English’ coach.

Perhaps if we as a nation stop calling the bloated, arrogant and money laden Premier League ‘the best in the world’ and realise we have no god given right to win anything then the work of getting back to the top can truly begin.

Blue Moon rises to see off the Reds revival

So there you are, the end to yet another Premier League season, Manchester City triumph, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and Spurs are booking the plane tickets for a Euro excursion while the trapdoor closed on the heads of Cardiff, Fulham and Norwich.

It's been an enthralling, captivating, surprising and dramatic season in the top flight, Manchester United's manager didn't get the six years he was promised and Crystal Palace and Sunderland went from doomed to mid-table comfort.

It was the year of the sack as everyone seemed to change their manager - some did well (Crystal Palace) while others left it too late (Norwich) or changed too many times (Fulham).

Ultimately it was a season where the best team overall won the top trophy. Manchester City have been consistent, threatening and capable of stunning runs of form and deserve their honour.

A lot was made about Pellegrini when he arrived, particularly he had not won the league and 'blew £200million' at Real Madrid to finish second to Barcelona.

The fact that Barca won the title that year with a RECORD La Liga points total seemed not to concern the scribes and opinion makers.....

The Chilean has united a squad full of egos and honed them into a potent outfit, a team capable of going even further next season. It's a season though where Yaya Toure and Aguero must have competent understudies as both world class players have been playing through the pain at times this year.

As for Liverpool, this season has not been a 'failure' despite what Alan Hansen said. Ask any Liverpool fan if going from seventh to second and within two points of a title is failure and I suspect you might get a rather sarcastic response!

Liverpool's only mistake this season was naiveity - Brendan Rodgers told his team to go for it against Chelsea when he should have played tactically, got a point and moved on.

But Liverpool's approach was understandable, they thrashed Everton 4-0, Arsenal 5-1 and beat Man City 3-2 by 'going for it' so why change?

Perhaps if the same happened next year, we may see a new more cautious Liverpool but if I was an Anfield regular I wouldn't be sad at the conclusion, I would be looking ahead to next season.

It's been a season to remember again, congratulations to Manchester City!

What happened to the ‘Happy One’?

When Jose Mourinho returned to Chelsea in the summer, he told the world he was now the ‘Happy One’ more than the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’.

It certainly seemed to be based on truth, hounded away from Madrid, not adored in Milan despite winning the Scudetto and a Champions League trophy – the Special One returned ‘home’.

But lately, the happy one is more ‘Mr Grumpy’ and it shows a side of Mourinho which has proven very unpalatable to many but overlooked by his many fans, including me.

When he arrived in England, I became a fan instantly – yes he was arrogant and cocky but my god did English football need someone like that!

Certain aspects such as his behaviour with Anders Frisk and Frank Rijkaard could be brushed to one side because he was good value and mostly charming.

But time in Milan and the frying pan which is life as a Real Madrid manager has made Jose bitter, angry and yes, a somewhat unpleasant man.

I stress, I am a fan, but in the last few weeks I think Mourinho has behaved pathetically and drew the wrong attention to himself and to Chelsea.

I normally back the British teams in Europe after Arsenal have been eliminated but tonight I could not wholly back Chelsea.

My opposition to a few players in the team is probably well-known but generally I did not want Mourinho to succeed tonight.

The exertion of pressure on referees, the bitter interviews, the search for malice in otherwise innocent questions in post-match interviews is frankly boring.

I hope Jose has a holiday this summer, I hope he shapes the Chelsea team to his way – at the moment he is dealing with a AVB, Rafa, Carlo Ancellotti hybrid of a team.

But I hope he remembers why he was so loved first time around and relaxes a little more next season and shows a little more respect to opposition managers.

Jose, this is not Madrid, our press pack are great fans of you, your supporters are totally behind you, let’s see the happy one next season hey?

Liverpool would be worthy champions

YESTERDAY's win for Liverpool against title rivals Man City propelled the Reds closer to their first title in 24 years.

The emotion at the end is understandable, there are many at Anfield who know how much a Premier League title is wanted.

And in this, the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy, a Liverpool title win would be especially poignant.

However you view it, and I have no interest in debating it, 96 football fans went to a football match and never came home. That is not a fate which should befall anyone.

At times yesterday it felt like Liverpool were accompanied by some higher power in their quest for victory.

But to simply suggest fate is on their side does Liverpool, the players and an exceptionally talented manager in Brendan Rodgers an injustice.

The team have come from nowhere to be one of, if not the favourites, for the title. If you had suggested that in August you could have been carted off to the nearest dark room!

Would they be worthy champions? Oh yes and I say that as an Arsenal fan!

Have they spent ridiculous amounts of cash to get where they are? No not in comparison to Man City and Chelsea

You barely see Rodgers annoy the FA or another manager like Mourinho is capable of or blame referee's like Pellegrini sometimes does.

Yes he slandered Lee Mason for his 'bias' but was soon more than repentant for what was a stupid comment.

Do they play nice football? Oh hell yes, the destruction metered out to the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Cardiff this year proves that.

Rodgers and his loyal on-field generals in Gerrard, Suarez and Sturridge are on the cusp of something very special.

I for one will be cheering them on to the title.