We appear to have a league game on Thursday.

[WES]

I've always felt that the restrictions on live TV coverage represent a rather shameful admission by the football authorities that - for all their talk about what a great 'product' it is - a significant percentage of football fans wouldn't bother attending live football if it weren't the only means of seeing the game.

That seems to me to suggest that they know just what a load of shít the 'matchday experience' really is.

I was pretty shocked when I discovered that English football wasn't shown live here for the reasons you describe.

I was told at the time that the issue was not so much that Arsenal or Chelsea or Liverpool supporters wouldn't go watch their teams, but that the 1st, 2nd division and lower division's supporters wouldn't do so.

I'm not so sure

[Pokster]

I was pretty shocked when I discovered that English football wasn't shown live here for the reasons you describe.

I was told at the time that the issue was not so much that Arsenal or Chelsea or Liverpool supporters wouldn't go watch their teams, but that the 1st, 2nd division and lower division's supporters wouldn't do so.

I'm not so sure

Enough of the lower leagues fans would stay at home and that would have a massive effect on their finances. Not sure many of the better Championship clubs would see much difference.

You can watch the highlights of every game within minutes anyway so it osn't really a big deal.

Would be interesting to compare Championship midweek attendances from last season as you can watch all those games live on the red buitton now

[Burney]

Enough of the lower leagues fans would stay at home and that would have a massive effect on their finances. Not sure many of the better Championship clubs would see much difference.

You can watch the highlights of every game within minutes anyway so it osn't really a big deal.

Would be interesting to compare Championship midweek attendances from last season as you can watch all those games live on the red buitton now

Do we have any actual proof of this?

[barrybueno]

Do we have any actual proof of this?

I'm guessing surveys have been done but they'd be about as useful as an exit poll. What people say isn't always what they would actually do. Just show the 3pm's for a season and see imo.

[Sir C]

Do we have any actual proof of this?

This is one of those internet things. If you were having a chat down the pub and yer man said, 'Most football fans would prefer lager to brown sauce', you might reply, 'I'm not so sure...'

On tinternet though, 'Citation required!' or 'Link?' Opinions must be backed by evidence, generall meaning a Wikipedia article.

Funny old world we've made.

[Burney]

This is one of those internet things. If you were having a chat down the pub and yer man said, 'Most football fans would prefer lager to brown sauce', you might reply, 'I'm not so sure...'

On tinternet though, 'Citation required!' or 'Link?' Opinions must be backed by evidence, generall meaning a Wikipedia article.

Funny old world we've made.

I wasn't really doing that, though. I was genuinely asking if there was any support for this received wisdom or whether it was just what the football authorities reckon based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever. I know p is a referee or some sort of FA lackey, so wondered if he actually knew something.

[Sir C]

I wasn't really doing that, though. I was genuinely asking if there was any support for this received wisdom or whether it was just what the football authorities reckon based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever. I know p is a referee or some sort of FA lackey, so wondered if he actually knew something.

Disappointing.

[Pokster]

Do we have any actual proof of this?

Not sure if anyone has ever done a survey, so no idea, but i am fairly confident that a 200 mile round trip for away fans won't seen so appealing.

[PSRB]

Not sure if anyone has ever done a survey, so no idea, but i am fairly confident that a 200 mile round trip for away fans won't seen so appealing.

I can't believe a few people and a dog not travelling to an away game would have any noticeable affect on club finances

[barrybueno]

I can't believe a few people and a dog not travelling to an away game would have any noticeable affect on club finances

Does the dog get in free?