Southend Away

[Damski]

It's a sad reflection of the commercialisation of the game. As others have said, the Football League has sold its soul. I'm not being dramatic or silly when I say this, I am being serious: Sky need to step up and reimburse people who have spent a lot of money on travel and accommodation. That's something that could quite easily be done, and with the millions they rake in they could easily find the cash. People will have seen that when the fixtures were released in the summer and booked it. It's such a smack in the face to the "real" fans the TV bosses and pundits like to fawn over, but not actually support in any way when the chips are down.

Another point that's been raised earlier - It gives us far less rest time before the next game. I bet they didn't even consider that. Sky don't care about the game, the fitness of the players or the inconvenience and financial skinning they cause to the fans. League 1 matches should be 3pm Saturday or 7.45pm Tuesday, and they should not be able to be changed after publishing. Simple, really.

How fucking cynical and condescending. The message is clear: "Lower league team, are you? Well fuck you. Have this shovel of shit on your chips." It's a ludicrous situation that they have the final say, even over the police.

 

[Bert]

It's ironic that some of of supporters who have been done over by Sky here are also Sky subscribers. Paying the people who treat you like dirt.

 

[Damski]

It's about the monopoly though, isn't it? Watch Sky or don't watch the big match. Like it or lump it. You have no choice. They've got you by the balls already. They know fans will pay out of the nose because they are so passionate. That's not the fan's fault, is it?

 

[Bert]

It's about the monopoly though, isn't it? Watch Sky or don't watch the big match. Like it or lump it. You have no choice. They've got you by the balls already. They know fans will pay out of the nose because they are so passionate. That's not the fan's fault, is it?

Football was very popular before Sky came along, they didn't invent it.

 

[Damski]

Well yeah, but they don't have to charge so much, they don't have to fuck so many people over, do they? Would it be the end of the world if they just televised the normal kickoff time? (Not withstanding the no televised 3pm kick off rule, of course.)

 

[Bert]

Their only concern is to make money. Football fans are of no relevance. Only the sight of empty stadiums will change that situation.

 

[Damski]

I don't know if even that will TBH. I would assume that Sky's best case scenario is everyone watching at home with their own subscription.

 

[metalblade]

Their only concern is to make money. Football fans are of no relevance. Only the sight of empty stadiums will change that situation.

Wouldn't make a blind bit of difference to a league one club as they collect £140,000 every time they are on the telly, probably a lot more than most take through the turnstiles.

 

[Revolution]

Their only concern is to make money. Football fans are of no relevance. Only the sight of empty stadiums will change that situation.

I'm not sure even that will change things. It hasn't for cricket.

 

[YES Blade]

You tell us, you're the one inferring that the club had a hand in this.

Where did I say or even infer the club had a hand in this? If you read my other posts in this thread you will see that I have said it's not the club's fault.

But the club will get extra money for this fixture being moved, so why is it in the interests of the club to take on the might of Sky on this issue?

 

[YES Blade]

It's a sad reflection of the commercialisation of the game. As others have said, the Football League has sold its soul. I'm not being dramatic or silly when I say this, I am being serious: Sky need to step up and reimburse people who have spent a lot of money on travel and accommodation. That's something that could quite easily be done, and with the millions they rake in they could easily find the cash. People will have seen that when the fixtures were released in the summer and booked it. It's such a smack in the face to the "real" fans the TV bosses and pundits like to fawn over, but not actually support in any way when the chips are down.

Never going to happen, look at the fixture list on all the 92 clubs in the Prem and Football League clubs websites and you will see in small print "All fixtures subject to change", in others words tough shit mate!

Another point that's been raised earlier - It gives us far less rest time before the next game. I bet they didn't even consider that. Sky don't care about the game, the fitness of the players or the inconvenience and financial skinning they cause to the fans. League 1 matches should be 3pm Saturday or 7.45pm Tuesday, and they should not be able to be changed after publishing. Simple, really.

This is a much bigger problems for clubs higher up the leagues, we can't really moan about this, it's modern football and all clubs have to deal with issues like this.

How fucking cynical and condescending. The message is clear: "Lower league team, are you? Well fuck you. Have this shovel of shit on your chips." It's a ludicrous situation that they have the final say, even over the police.

What are you on about? It's far worse for clubs like Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City etc. how often do our matches get moved? The higher you go the more Sky move the fixtures around, the lower you go the less matches are shown and therefore moved.

Can Sky really over rule the police? I'd love for someone to find me an example of a match being moved against the wishes of the police.

 

[Darren]

Never going to happen, look at the fixture list on all the 92 clubs in the Prem and Football League clubs websites and you will see in small print "All fixtures subject to change", in others words tough shit mate!



This is a much bigger problems for clubs higher up the leagues, we can't really moan about this, it's modern football and all clubs have to deal with issues like this.



What are you on about? It's far worse for clubs like Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Man City etc. how often do our matches get moved? The higher you go the more Sky move the fixtures around, the lower you go the less matches are shown and therefore moved.

Can Sky really over rule the police? I'd love for someone to find me an example of a match being moved against the wishes of the police.

No, Sky couldn't overrule the police.

 

[Rusty view]

The pub landlords of Southend will be fuming, the local economy of Southend will have been boosted from this. This decision has far reaching implications, none of which have been considered by Sky.

I was looking forward to see the place of conception for Jamie Oliver

 

[BushBlade]

Their only concern is to make money. Football fans are of no relevance. Only the sight of empty stadiums will change that situation.

It amazes me that anyone can think businesses exist for any other purpose than to make money.

 

[BushBlade]

The pub landlords of Southend will be fuming, the local economy of Southend will have been boosted from this. This decision has far reaching implications, none of which have been considered by Sky.

I was looking forward to see the place of conception for Jamie Oliver

Yeah, it'll be dead this bank holiday weekend without the Blades.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

It amazes me that anyone can think businesses exist for any other purpose than to make money.

I run a community interest company. We're a business, but we don't exist to make profit for ourselves.

 

[BushBlade]

I run a community interest company. We're a business, but we don't exist to make profit for ourselves.

Oh, is it just an unfortunate by-product?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

Oh, is it just an unfortunate by-product?

Profit? We don't make any of that.

 

[BushBlade]

I run a community interest company. We're a business, but we don't exist to make profit for ourselves.

The last post was a wind up obviously but I didn't actually say profit, I said make money.
I assume you draw some kind of wage from it, as do your colleagues.

 

[BushBlade]

Profit? We don't make any of that.

How much do you lose then?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

The last post was a wind up obviously but I didn't actually say profit, I said make money.
I assume you draw some kind of wage from it, as do your colleagues.

Nope, we're all volunteers. It will never earn enough for me to do it full time, but we do it because we like what we do.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

How much do you lose then?

Not enough for me to lose sleep over

 

[BushBlade]

Nope, we're all volunteers. It will never earn enough for me to do it full time, but we do it because we like what we do.

I had to Google CIC.
If it's not too personal (I realise it's an MB and you might not want to link your S2 persona with your real life one), what does the company do?

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I had to Google CIC.
If it's not too personal (I realise it's an MB and you might not want to link your S2 persona with your real life one), what does the company do?

We organise events that raise money for early stage charitable or social change projects.

 

[Damski]

Never going to happen, look at the fixture list on all the 92 clubs in the Prem and Football League clubs websites and you will see in small print "All fixtures subject to change", in others words tough shit mate!

Sure, but my point is that it's vastly inconsiderate, isn't it? It's an easy cop-out to put the "subject to change" line in there, but it doesn't solve any of the problems it throws up, does it. Fans are still getting screwed over with this, and it's unfair. Just because there's no legal obligation for Sky to reimburse, doesn't make them morally beyond reproach. They have inconvenienced a lot of people by doing this for their own needs, and have a moral duty to reimburse them, would you say that's a fair statement or not?

This is a much bigger problems for clubs higher up the leagues, we can't really moan about this, it's modern football and all clubs have to deal with issues like this.

But that doesn't make it right. It has to be addressed. In my mind, lower league football should be at those times, and very rarely on others. Premier League is fine, I get that, I understand that. It's a global brand and needs to reflect that, right? So you have Super Sunday, you have Monday Night Football, you have the early Saturday and late Saturday kick-offs. That's fine, these are big clubs and they will have fans (plastic, but fans nonetheless) who don't want to go and see them, or actual fans who cannot afford the time and money to regularly see the club. At least at the top level, clubs have matches broadcast regularly, and it has become a part of fan culture for the Premier League.

It's a different situation for us. D'you think we'll sell as many tickets to that game now? I know it'll probably be offset by the TV money, but that's quite cynical. The fan culture in this league is centered around looking forward to weekends like that. There's not that much to get excited about in League 1, is there. In the EPL, we'd play Man UTD, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Everton, etc week in, week out. Not in our division. So you get fixtures you long for all year, and as such, people have planned entire holidays around it. No more! For the sake of moving a game that, let's face it, very few people will be interested in to a completely inaccessible time for most. I think the bile comes from this one specifically because they've moved it from literally one of possibly the top 5 days in a calendar year to go to a football game to one of the worst.

Can Sky really over rule the police? I'd love for someone to find me an example of a match being moved against the wishes of the police.

There have been a few games mentioned on here. One from this season (or last) I recall was the Liverpool Everton game that was on at 5.30pm. Local police were against it, but it went ahead anyway.

 

[YES Blade]

Sure, but my point is that it's vastly inconsiderate, isn't it? It's an easy cop-out to put the "subject to change" line in there, but it doesn't solve any of the problems it throws up, does it. Fans are still getting screwed over with this, and it's unfair. Just because there's no legal obligation for Sky to reimburse, doesn't make them morally beyond reproach. They have inconvenienced a lot of people by doing this for their own needs, and have a moral duty to reimburse them, would you say that's a fair statement or not?

Looking at it without Blades tinted specs on, Sky have given 10 weeks notice, a lot of people would say that is a fair amount of notice. It's the football league that negotiated the contract with Sky, so it's their fault, why should Sky have to pay compensation, when they are legally entitled to move the match?

But that doesn't make it right. It has to be addressed. In my mind, lower league football should be at those times, and very rarely on others. Premier League is fine, I get that, I understand that. It's a global brand and needs to reflect that, right? So you have Super Sunday, you have Monday Night Football, you have the early Saturday and late Saturday kick-offs. That's fine, these are big clubs and they will have fans (plastic, but fans nonetheless) who don't want to go and see them, or actual fans who cannot afford the time and money to regularly see the club. At least at the top level, clubs have matches broadcast regularly, and it has become a part of fan culture for the Premier League.

It's a different situation for us. D'you think we'll sell as many tickets to that game now? I know it'll probably be offset by the TV money, but that's quite cynical. The fan culture in this league is centered around looking forward to weekends like that. There's not that much to get excited about in League 1, is there. In the EPL, we'd play Man UTD, Man City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool, Everton, etc week in, week out. Not in our division. So you get fixtures you long for all year, and as such, people have planned entire holidays around it. No more! For the sake of moving a game that, let's face it, very few people will be interested in to a completely inaccessible time for most. I think the bile comes from this one specifically because they've moved it from literally one of possibly the top 5 days in a calendar year to go to a football game to one of the worst.

So what are you saying? There shouldn't be a TV deal in place for the lower leagues? Is it too much hassle for the lower leagues so lets have the premier league have all the money and the football league have none?

There have been a few games mentioned on here. One from this season (or last) I recall was the Liverpool Everton game that was on at 5.30pm. Local police were against it, but it went ahead anyway.

Post a link to a story, find this very hard to believe that TV was put before public safety!

 

[ThatJa]

Its a good job we're still in League One, if we were in the Premier League we'd be having fixtures moved left right and center. Careful what you wish for...

 

[wizadry]

Sky will be moving this because now they've moved it to a midweek night game they now know that they'll get the people who don't/can't go watching this hence helping themselves out, nobody else. There's no conspiracy against us and they've spoilt it for lots of Blades but there's nothing we can do unless every football fan decides to do something against it.

Sky decide at the very start of the season how many times a certain team in a certain league are going to be on, hence we'll probably be on the most due to the viewing figures from our league, this is also why Leeds and the Wendies are also on a lot in their League because they have the best viewing figures.

Sky have picked this match probably due to the fact they have to squeeze us in another twice before the end of the season and they probably don't see a better fixture from there point of view other than probably two fixtures at the most. Just thought i'd put this out there to answer a few very pissed off Blades.

 

[Jonboy60]

The best thing is they'll be ringing you up soon offering incentives to get you back.

Tell them you'll come back, but only if the put they put the game on at its original date. That should do it.