terry9
24/07/2005, 10:51 AM
Galway United Chief Executive Officer Nick Leeson has criticised the coverage policy of the country’s television networks, insisting that it is unfair on clubs outside of Dublin and could create a system of imbalance in the eircom League.
Leeson, who made headlines worldwide as the “rogue trader” who broke Barings Bank in the 1990s, was appointed to the top job at Terryland Park earlier this year.
And the Englishman feels that television coverage of eircom League games this season by RTE, TG4 and Setanta Sports is unfairly prejudiced against clubs from outside Dublin.
In his column in Friday’s Irish Daily Mirror, he wrote: “There have been nine matches screened either live or by deferred coverage this season by the three aforementioned broadcasters in the league and the FAI Cup.
“Nine matches. Guess the location of all nine matches? Dublin. Clearly it is wrong and it is wrong for a number of reasons.
“Reason number one is the fact that, in case RTE, Setanta and TG4 have failed to notice, Cork City are actually top of the league – getting the best crowds in the country.
“Derry City are second, Drogheda are fourth and Longford are sixth. Surely, at the very least one of these teams, deserved to have a game shown from their home ground?
“Yet instead we have seen Shamrock Rovers – who incidentally are bottom of the table – on three occasions. St Pat’s, who are also having a bad season, have had three games screened live from Richmond Park. It doesn’t make sense.”
He continued: “There is an imbalance created by sending cameras to certain clubs. Money is given to those clubs whose home games are screened. Now while the sum is not huge - €5,000 for every live game and just €2,000 for every deferred game – that money is handed in its entirety to the home side.
“Something has to change. We can’t have games just screened from Dublin – even if those clubs were in first, second, third and fourth positions in the league. As it is, they are third, fifth, ninth and last.”
hit the nail on the head.
Leeson, who made headlines worldwide as the “rogue trader” who broke Barings Bank in the 1990s, was appointed to the top job at Terryland Park earlier this year.
And the Englishman feels that television coverage of eircom League games this season by RTE, TG4 and Setanta Sports is unfairly prejudiced against clubs from outside Dublin.
In his column in Friday’s Irish Daily Mirror, he wrote: “There have been nine matches screened either live or by deferred coverage this season by the three aforementioned broadcasters in the league and the FAI Cup.
“Nine matches. Guess the location of all nine matches? Dublin. Clearly it is wrong and it is wrong for a number of reasons.
“Reason number one is the fact that, in case RTE, Setanta and TG4 have failed to notice, Cork City are actually top of the league – getting the best crowds in the country.
“Derry City are second, Drogheda are fourth and Longford are sixth. Surely, at the very least one of these teams, deserved to have a game shown from their home ground?
“Yet instead we have seen Shamrock Rovers – who incidentally are bottom of the table – on three occasions. St Pat’s, who are also having a bad season, have had three games screened live from Richmond Park. It doesn’t make sense.”
He continued: “There is an imbalance created by sending cameras to certain clubs. Money is given to those clubs whose home games are screened. Now while the sum is not huge - €5,000 for every live game and just €2,000 for every deferred game – that money is handed in its entirety to the home side.
“Something has to change. We can’t have games just screened from Dublin – even if those clubs were in first, second, third and fourth positions in the league. As it is, they are third, fifth, ninth and last.”
hit the nail on the head.