FOOTBALL AND TELEVISION TIME FOR A CHANGE!

By Chris Mac
March 27 2003

FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS' PARLIAMENTARY LOBBY TUESDAY 1 APRIL 2003 ASSEMBLE 11.45AM WESTMINSTER CENTRAL HALL Storey's Gate London, SW1 (2 minutes from House of Commons)

Listen to any group of football supporters - at a game, in a pub, railway station or motorway services and you'll hear the same thing.

"What time did you have to start out?"

"No we had to drive. There's no trains at this time of the morning."

"Even if we do go up we won't be able to compete. The gap in money's so huge these days."

"No. Had to watch it in the pub. I don't subscribe to the right channel."

"No. I stayed home and watched the European game on the box."

What links all these issues? Television of course. The arrival of multi-channel TV via satellite and cable has transformed football. Just two decades ago game was receiving less from television than it now receives for radio rights. The amount of money coming into the game now would have beggared belief then.

You don't have to tell many supporters about the flip side however.

* Constant changes of kick-off times and days making travel and time off planning a nightmare

* The increasing wealth cap in football, especially after the ITV Digital collapse

* Smaller professional clubs in the Football League and pyramid losing gate revenue when big domestic and European matches are televised midweek

* Key matches only being available via subscription or pay-per-view channels

With both the Premiership and FA television contracts up for renewal soon, NOW'S the chance for YOU, the ordinary football supporter to influence events before the new deals are set in stone again for three or four seasons. The European Union has now followed the UK government in questioning whether football should continue to be allowed to negotiate rights deals collectively.

If clubs were allowed to do their own deals there's little doubt the already rolling in it will get even richer with even fewer crumbs for the rest. But supporters have an agenda too. We want:

* A much fairer distribution of TV money throughout the game. It happens in North American sports. Why not here?

* An end to constant kick-off and matchday changes - any danger of Saturday at 3.00pm at least half the time?

* A TV-free midweek evening to allow smaller professional clubs to play without competing with big matches on TV. A drop in four hundred due to a game on the box might seem a drop in the ocean to a Premiership or First Division club. It's a lot of money for the likes of Morecambe.

We MUST get all these points over to our Members of Parliament. We need YOU to join us at the House of Commons that week to lobby your constituency MP. A debate on football and television will be being held that week. We need to promote attendance and participation in that debate.

If you REALLY can't make it to London on 1 April (NO, NOT can't be arsed, really CAN'T make it!) then please write or phone your local MP or visit him/her in their constituency surgery. Even if you are coming to the lobby you need to contact your MP to tell them that you'd like to see them on the day. Please also mention that you hope they'll be participating in the debate. Details of how to do this are on the back of the leaflet.

For further information please contact:

Steven Powell

07881 950613

sl.powell@virgin.net

Mark Longden

0161-282 7602

mark.longden@safestanding.com

Make sure you:

* Let us know that you're coming by contacting Mark or Steven

* Contact your MP before 1 April whether you're coming or not

* Raise the lobby with fellow supporters * Wear shirts/colours on the day