Blog Archive - Reach For The Sky

[blues six glens nil]

MAY 2007

Now, you may find the following phrase surprising but here goes. Well done IFA.

Yes, the incompetent bunglers ru(i)nning football in Northern Ireland have pulled off a masterstroke with the new TV contract with Sky.

I`ve decided to wait a week to let the dust settle before speaking on the issue.

This deal can only be beneficial to the game in this country with an increased level of coverage.

Live friendlies, Live under 21 internationals AND live Irish League games, something which the BBC has struggled to offer a game which has been poorly marketed and managed in recent years.

If the money offered was the same, who do you think the IFA would have given the contract to?

Sky, because of better exposure and professional coverage which will positively expose their brand to a wider audience.

Why should football fans in Northern Ireland be happy with what we`ve got, when what we`ve got is nothing?

BBC Northern Ireland is now becoming known as the best place for the latest news of Leeds, Sunderland, Fulham and Dunfermline.

My one concern is that there has no mention of an Irish League highlights programme as part of the package.

Hopefully this will be included. Look at increased attendances in the English Football League since they got a weekly highlights show. We have a good product in this country, we should be more ballsy about it. This year was one of the most exciting title races in years yet there was no increase in coverage.

Part of it is the authorities fault. Yes, footballers cuss each other through the press but some PR disasters (CIS Cup Final Ticket Fiasco, Linfield-Ballymena Fiasco, Gallogly Registration) could easily have been avoided. If you make a fool of yourself in public, you can only expect it to be reported.

It has been interesting to view the opinions on the messageboards and the difference of opinion between OWC and ILF, with OWC posters almost begrudging the league coverage and association with a team they only discovered existed in 2004.

The way the story was reported on the BBC made me laugh with one BBC suit saying "We have listened to fans over our coverage". Really? What happened when local fans were asking for an Irish League highlights programme?

They talk about their flagship programme, Final Score. Unless you live on the same street as an Irish League ground, you will have to leave the ground early in order to get home and watch it.

Compare this with the BBC`s regional football coverage in Scotland and Wales and you will see why fans in this country feel short changed.

Truth is, if the BBC provided a high quality service, they would have won the contract unopposed, but they got complacent, knowing that they could offer any old rubbish, knowing they would get the contract no matter what. This Sky deal has put a spanner in the works. Now, the BBC have competition, they must improve their coverage.

This can only be good for the local game. Reach for the sky.

PS : Well done to the IFA for making neutral tickets available for the Irish Cup Final, and no capacity restrictions like last year.