Clarets back on Sky

Last updated : 05 July 2002 By Tony Scholes

The deal is for league games, the Worthington Cup and the LDV Vans Trophy. It is initially for live matches only and they will be shown on Friday evenings, Saturday's at 5:35 p.m. and Sunday afternoons. At least we have seen the back of Thursday games (we were spared them last season) and clashing with Dame Thora Hird's Songs of Praise on Sunday evenings.

It is a four-year deal and is worth £95 million with £20 million coming in the first year. Burnley can expect to collect some £750,000 to £800,000 in the first year from the deal. There could be further money if the League can negotiate further with Sky for a highlights package. It was the highlights package on ITV Sport and the Saturday evening programme Football First that proved to be the most popular with fans last season.

Sky is where the Nationwide League was and where it should have stayed. Whoever was responsible for accepting the ITV deal in the first place has a great deal to answer. It was a deal that was taken for money only. It showed no consideration for supporters who couldn't view it and never seemed to bother that it was not an established company, channel or platform.

So the battle continues to try and get the money from Carlton and Granada but at least we now have some money to come in for the next season whatever happens with that battle. And no Sunday evenings either.

The matches Sky will cover are as follows:

Nationwide Football League

60 matches exclusively live each season. Games will be shown from across the three divisions with 50 live matches from Division One each year.

Nationwide Football League Play offs

Up to nine live matches from the end of season promotion play offs including all three play off finals exclusively live.

Worthington Cup

Up to two live ties from each full round of the Football League's knock out competition plus semi-finals and the final for the first major cup of the season exclusively live.

LDV Vans Trophy

Final covered each season.