ONLINE SHOCCER

TODAY’S game between England and Ukraine is being shown online and viewers will be charged to watch it. Online company Kentaro, who bought the rights to the game after Setanta went bust will be streaming the game to viewers after failing to sell the match to ITV or the BBC. England fans have posted their anger online already, but some people are now saying this is the future way to watch football, but is it really?

The plus side is that we would be able to choose which premier league match we wanted, instead of watching the games Sky or ESPN broadcast. Also if every football match could be streamed people who support smaller clubs with no live TV coverage such as league two sides would be able to watch their side’s week in week out.

But is this really the root we want to take? I dislike watching sports on a small screen let alone on a laptop. What would happen to going to the pub to watch Manchester United v Chelsea only to find out their showing Burton Albion v Bristol Rovers? because the landlord is from Burton. Also if pubs were paying £10 per a match and were screening three or four would the have an entry fee to enter your local?

England fans have supported the team so much through this campaign. They have put less pressure on the team, got behind them all the way and packed Wembley out for all the qualifiers. But now we are told we have to spend extra money to watch our country play football. I personally think it’s a disgrace and leaving more fans out of pocket.

If England were still in the hunt for qualification this issue would not have surfaced for a long time and I would be happily sat in the pub with a pint, surrounded by hundreds of others doing the same.