Rant Rant Rant

[Birminghammer]

Why can't I watch the England game tonight?

Because it is on Sentata, exclusively so. I have already subscribed to Sky (who are showing Norn Iron and Rep O'Ireland games) but I have to take out an additional subscription if I want to watch Englands World Cup qualifiers.:mad:

With an unfunny twist of irony, that means an Irish broadcaster is showing the England game and an English broadcaster is showing the Irish games.

Surely the national matches should be shown on national TV? Especially the important ones.

And another thing - where do those sanctimonious tw@ts get off telling us when we can and cannot boo? Yes we know it can be demoralising but it is a perfectly valid expression of dis-satisfaction at a bunch of over-paid, under-performing pillocks who do not seem to care as much about the game as we do.

[claret50]

The game was shown live on ESPN down here in NZ, but I suppose it's a bit of a hike to get here! oh, we played bloody well btw, and Gerrard should have made it 4-1 but missed an open goal.:rolleyes:

[Hammerette 1]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! :p


I don't have Setanta either:( However I have to say I enjoy listening to the radio if I can't watch it on TV.

[hammer_scout51]

As per Claret watched it live on ESPN. Thought we were outplayed in footballing terms first half. 2nd half they looked knackered and we were well on top.

[west_ham]

It's not untypical for Sky customers to pay Sky once and expect the services of all other broadcasting companies to be thrown into the monopoly package for no extra cost. Whilst I am sure Setanta are no more righteous than Sky themselves I do hope that this marks the beginning of EPL broadcasting rights being spread across many companies and not the end.

I do agree that national games should be shown on national, non subscription channels. I think the fan who ran across the pitch after the WC final in '66 with "BBC for Sport" on his shirt got it right. Did he really know just how ahead of his time he was? Let's not forget in all this that the BBC channels are not subscription channels. We are forced to buy them perhaps even against our will but at least they are not subscription!! :rolleyes: I do get a sense of homeliness and ownership with the BBC though. Their relentless Britishness gives a feeling that we own the BBC purely through being a British citizen. Plus who can fault their apocolyptic news themes (search youtube for Bill Bailey)?

Until such a time that the BBC are able to show EPL games, and our TV licence fee quadruples as a result, we always have the backdoor approach of streaming. This is one way to (sometimes) get ESPN without travelling across the pond. But whatever country or channel our match is on we can usually get a stream thanks the tireless and dedicated efforts of...whoever it is.

[Birminghammer]

All the streams were rubbish last night, so \ iwatched the high-lights.

I must admit I like the cut of Cappello's jib. he is clear in his expectations from th eplayers and has no qualms about ditching anybody if they do not perform as he thinks. His tactics last night were spot on. Indeed he now has the best record for World Cup qualifiers of any England manager.Whe told this his response was that it means nothing and all that matters is South Africa.

He seems to value results over performance, which is what England needs right now.

I am happy to moan about performance when winning. Having said that I thought England played well against a team who are no slouches the,mselves, having recently beaten Holland for example.

[hammermolder]

No problem over here,watched the game down the pub ,$10.:)

[TheMobyDick]

Ditto Hammermolder,20 dollars in our bar,must be cos i live in a posh area.

[norwaytips]

All pubs are free over here. $10 seems a bit high to me and $20seems like daylight robbery.
Mind you we pay a bit more for the beer.:mad:

[Birminghammer]

Of course going to the pub is another option.

They don't charge over here, the increase in beer sales i sprobably worth th esubscription fees. I have noticed quite a few pubs with the Sentata logo advertised, where it used to be just Sky, now it is both. Mind you if we did have national games on the BBC nobody would go to the pub to watch it when they could watch it for free at home.

Apparantly pubs are closing down at an unprecidented rate in England. The smoking ban plus cheap supermarket deals mean more people are staying at home for a drink rather than going to the pub. I must admit I only go to the pub for something to eat these days, I can't remember the last time I went just for a pint.

[amancalledmikey]

Speaking anecdotally, about three pubs have closed in one of the nearby towns but, then again, two of those had opened thinking they could take trade away from elsewhere and they'd never managed it, eventually closing. The other place had changed hands many times in recent years and was always struggling to find its niche. The pubs that give people what they want seem to be doing OK.

[Footstomper]

Of course going to the pub is another option.

They don't charge over here, the increase in beer sales i sprobably worth th esubscription fees. I have noticed quite a few pubs with the Sentata logo advertised, where it used to be just Sky, now it is both. Mind you if we did have national games on the BBC nobody would go to the pub to watch it when they could watch it for free at home.

Apparantly pubs are closing down at an unprecidented rate in England. The smoking ban plus cheap supermarket deals mean more people are staying at home for a drink rather than going to the pub. I must admit I only go to the pub for something to eat these days, I can't remember the last time I went just for a pint.
You should ask norway about the pubs that have closed down in Newham; its a bloody depressing list

[claret50]

You should ask norway about the pubs that have closed down in Newham; its a bloody depressing list
Probably because Newham is a bloody depressing place to live.

[west_ham]

Probably because Newham is a bloody depressing place to live.
Hence a greater need for pubs in the area...;)

[EastHammer]

I had a lovely , clear English commentary, from start to finish, every stroke of the ball , each goal and no interuptions

Radio 5 live

[Footstomper]

Which is blocked from broadcasting in the states!

[claret50]

Which is blocked from broadcasting in the states!
Not if you have a Sirius radio.
http://www.sirius.com/soccer