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Does anyone know the full story behind Sky Sports and them being allowed to broadcast in Ireland, and League of Ireland clubs being compensated with flood lights being installed for each club.
Who was the Minister for Sport and Minster for Commuications as the time?
Who in the FAI was involved and agree to these terms?
Pretty certain the FAI were involved in it but i am not 100% certain of that either. To be honest i think it was a positive deal for the league, floodlights should have been of a higher quality.
Actually clubs were offered a very standard floodlight and then if they paid so much extra themselves they got a higher standard of one. We paid the extra and pretty certain Athlone and Harps did not but again can't be certain of that.
Best decision ever made by the FAI.
this was brought in in 1992-1993 due to the sunday afternoon clashes with the newly formed premiership.Quote:
Originally Posted by A face
There was no such office as a minister for sport although i am open to correction if there was a junior minister. See below
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/
This increased crowds in sligo significantly at the time as it co-incided with one of our most successful periods under the manager willie mcstay.
The showgrounds used to have fairly regular crowds in excess of 3000 people at the time.
I think the cost of upgrading the floodlights was £7,000. Most clubs did it. Pats were very lucky, and got in at the tail end of this and the floodlights in Richmond were turned on in January 2004 (we moved back to Richmond in December 2003)
Most clubs still wouldn't have floodlights if it wasn't for this deal. Anyone remember cup replays being played on Tuesday afternoons?
Ya, we paid extra and got lights brought up to UEFA standard. Thats why we were able to play Club Brugge under lights that year. Ive also heard that the bulbs for those floodlights (the ones in the showgies anyway) are no longer being made and are hard to get.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rovers Maniac
Pats had to upgrade again last year for UEFA, and it cost a fortune. Not sure whether the UEFA standard has rose, or whether the problem mentioned above is the reasonQuote:
Originally Posted by redobit
I think most have given the circumstances already.
Sky Sports (BskyB?) had to compensate under UEFA rules (I believe UEFA rules not European Community) as they officially broadcasted Sunday afternoon games into the Republic and so the juristiction of the League of Ireland. As most games were on Sunday afternoons.
ITV were doing the same thing for a few years but they did not broadcast officially and were not liable. Viewers benefitted with ITV through illegal boosters at least.
It was effectively an understanding that LoI change their day of matches or no broadcast of foreign games on primary match days.
Dalymount, Oriel, Tolka and Belfield were the only Stadia that had floodlights. Belfield installed ours a couple of years before and opened with a Shield Final first leg against Waterford Utd. I remember our Lux (measurement of enviromental light) was less than the standard 'Sky' lights. As our lights were already installed UCD were to receive cash instead.
I believe it was UEFA rules and obviously presented by FAI. I don't remember any resistance from the broadcasters who were already notorious by then.
Yes i remember that alright, i remember Rovers having a home cup replay v Derry in the Showgrounds that finished 0-0. I think most of Summerhill was at the game and there was que for students to get in. It is far better as it is now but in a weird way i miss stuff like that from the league.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Yes i have heard this as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by redobit
Fairly sure that Uefa standards have been rising. We were able to play Uefa Cup 1st round at the cross a few years ago but not sure if we could any more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
You defintely couldn't. Pats looked into it this year and the only grounds eligible for our game v berlin were Croke Park and the RDS
Floodlights weren't the issue though
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarpoJoyce
I think the Brandywell had floodlights by 89/90 too, I vaguely remember a 'Paisley bought you floodlights' chant in Oriel around the time.
199x rather than 200x there or has my brain totally melted?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Does anyone else think we should have got more for it?
I'd be thinking something along the lines of an annual fee, remuneration for the damage the foreign games being broadcasted here are doing to the league. No one can deny that it severely damages the league, untold damage in my opinion and all we got for it was poxy floodlights. I think we really got short changed here.
Could the League of Ireland ever take it further and make a case for it?
And could Setanta, as another official broadcaster of games, be persued? Might be a bad idea what with the Setanta Cup and them covering LOI games though....Quote:
Originally Posted by A face
A case could be made that they are adding value to the league as opposed to damaging it though.Quote:
Originally Posted by KianD
And something along the lines of ratio of hours of coverage and football of foreign leagues to domestic league.
For example - Foreign : Domestic
100 hrs coverage and 80 hrs football : 50 hrs coverage and 40 hrs football
And if they wont do the coverage pay us €10,000 an hour (or is that too little) for all the foreign coverage they show.
I would imagine it was seen as a one-off good deal fifteen years ago, and trying to take it further now would be seen as greed. Not that I would be against pursuing SKY, but I'm not sure how far you'd get.
jaysus, sorry yeah, 1993. :oQuote:
Originally Posted by KianD
NopeQuote:
Originally Posted by A face
There had been Sunday games live on ITV for many years before the Sky deal. As harpo pointed out, they had no obligation to do anythingQuote:
I'd be thinking something along the lines of an annual fee, remuneration for the damage the foreign games being broadcasted here are doing to the league. No one can deny that it severely damages the league, untold damage in my opinion and all we got for it was poxy floodlights. I think we really got short changed here.
No.Quote:
Could the League of Ireland ever take it further and make a case for it?
AFAIK the rule then that allowed us to claim compensation no longer applies.
It was generally accepted at the time as being a great deal for the league.
I remember plenty of cup replays on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. In general they were very well attended and an excuse to skip school or work.
probabky too long in the past for a court case - UEFA might consider it at the next renegotiation of Sky's licence to Broadcast in Ireland - presumably the govt issue licenses that aren't indefinite. Change the terms at next opportunity would be only option.
I think in fairness that horse has bolted ...