The FAI how outdone themselves now.....

gandalf · 05-07-2002 06:32PM #1

...by giving Sky the exclusive rights to all the home games. Nice way to reward the fans after the Saipan mess.

What a pack of muppets.

Gandalf.

leeroybrown · 05-07-2002 06:40PM

http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/0705/rte.html

http://www.fai.ie/NR/exeres/52F4A865-88EE-401B-8E7B-AD6723F9F575.htm

Fécking backstabbing bástards.

Crucify them!!!!

repeat after me

Crucify them!!!!
Crucify them!!!!
Crucify them!!!!
Crucify them!!!!

...

PiE · 05-07-2002 06:45PM

*shakes head in disbelief*

They must be the single most anti good-PR football association here in ze vorld.

gandalf · 05-07-2002 06:47PM

Well I was planning on going to some League Games this season, however this has now changed that. They can now go and f**k themselves !

Gandalf.

mike65 · 05-07-2002 07:44PM

Amazing, just when they needed some good PR.

RTE will make hay with this "you see we needed a €50 hike in the licence fee" etc etc. The pubs will love it though, they'll make a killing. RTE might'nt even get the away rights...and how much did the rights cost? I thought I heard €7-8million over 4 years which is a piddling amount. Just as bad as Sky having live rights is the thought of TV3 doing thier own presentation of the "as live" action which they will proberly want to tack on to the start and finnish. Bleugh! :mad: Who's commentry will we hear on TV3?

Mike.

zAbbo · 05-07-2002 08:01PM

****in ****s

b20uvkft6m5xwg · 05-07-2002 09:04PM

I'm sure publicans all over Ireland are licking their lips.

--
I presume it will be on the normal Sky Digitial subscription (ie. SS 1/2/3 and not PPV !?

Thanx 4 The Fish · 06-07-2002 01:10AM

Well if it has anything to do with Mr Murdoch than all stones will be duly squeezed and the Irish soccer fans will be left bleedin.....

Crucify them!!!!
Crucify them!!!!
Crucify them!!!!
Crucify them!!!!

Hell yes...

Blindpew · 06-07-2002 01:49AM

Aye, 'tis come to pass that all soccer from here on in will be played in the sky. So now if young kids want to watch football and their parents can't afford Sky Sports, they must go to the pub or a club to see an International match. That idiot from Waterford who's one of the FAI's head henchmen said "football had become a social occasion now and people went out to pubs and clubs to see match's". Well my youngfellow who's only 6 loves football, but I wouldn't bring him to a pub to watch it. They go on about trying to break the link between alcohol and sport and yet this is what an FAI official recommends.

Blindpew · 06-07-2002 01:52AM

The deal cost sky 7 and a half million euro for 4 years and will probably make 100 million from the deal. Where's the soccer mad "tea-shock" now. He was going to spend billions on a stadium and yet wouldn't help RTE out to make up the 7 million. I think the team should refuse to play until all this corruption in the FAI is sorted out. They've stolen the only bit of magic that kids had and sold it to SKY, they've hijacked a nations pride and joy and sold it to line their own pockets. As only 20% of homes have sky sports I think they have killed the game forever in Ireland. If anyone doubted Roy Keanes actions before the world cup they should now question their doubts.

b20uvkft6m5xwg · 06-07-2002 08:14AM

Originally posted by Blindpew
I think the team should refuse to play until all this corruption in the FAI is sorted out.

Maybe that could have been levelled in th past at the likes of Bernard O'Byrne and his dodgy credit card expenses, but the current crop are simply incompetent not corrupt.

Blindpew · 06-07-2002 09:30AM

Well all I know is that in any organisation where loads of money is floating around there's corruption. This deal was signed and sealed while RTE still thought they were negotiating. 7.5 million is not a fortune, more is probably spent on dumb american sit coms.
They indicates to me that someone got a brown goodie bag. If it weren't for Roy Keane the team would still be flying Ryan air and the FAI officials would still be eating prawn sandwichs aboard concorde.

Blindpew · 06-07-2002 09:31AM

The FAI don't give a damn about the fans or about football. If they did they would have been down on their knees in front of Roy Keane begging him to stay in Japan. He upset their cocktail trolley and they waited their chance to get him back. I think its a reflection of Ireland today. Everything is sold for pieces of silver,
and the gulf between rich and poor is broadened even more.

pro_gnostic_8 · 06-07-2002 09:49AM

. [/B][/QUOTE]

Originally posted by Blindpew
Where's the soccer mad "tea-shock" now. He was going to spend billions on a stadium and yet wouldn't help RTE out to make up the 7 million.

I honestly think it would be a mistake if the Government bought out the Sky/FAI deal. That would reward the FAI's contemptuous treatment of the Irish soccer public and it would set a hell of a precedent for the future. Down the road, any sporting body (GAA e.g.) might make a similar deal for an outlandish amount in the knowledge that the taxpayer would bail it out and return the coverage to the public domain.

Maybe an alternative idea would be for the Government to deduct 7 million from their grant to the FAI. This would be a sweet irony and show this shower of winkers that there is no profit to be had in depriving the soccer public of the pleasure of watching the team.

pro_gnostic_8 · 06-07-2002 09:59AM

RTE are guilty of many things, but I think it is unfair to criticise them on this occasion.

Up to moment when the news broke, RTE was engaged in good-faith negotiations with the FAI. I believe their spokesman when he said that RTE was as shocked and surprised as anyone when the announcement was made. The FAI behaved cynically and disgracefully.

Originally posted by Blindpew
Well all I know is that in any organisation where loads of money is floating around there's corruption. This deal was signed and sealed while RTE still thought they were negotiating. 7.5 million is not a fortune, more is probably spent on dumb american sit coms.
They indicates to me that someone got a brown goodie bag.

I agree with ya. I'm inclined to think there is something very suspect here also. This fiasco has a stench about it.

Blindpew · 06-07-2002 10:58AM

I'm not saying they should buy the deal from sky but it must be illegal to close a deal in that manner, especially over something as important as national pride. Maybe there could be an FAI tribunal . This deal should be frozen pending an investigation.
If this goes ahead it will be GAA next year. Soon it will be the news. If selefield were to blow up in two years time, you'd have to wait an hour to catch it on TV3 if you didn't have sky.

Blindpew · 06-07-2002 10:58AM

I think also the players could call a meeting among themselves and show solidarity with all the skyless fans. Niall Quinn could refuse to stand in front of a goal unless he was veiwable on a terrestial Irish level playing field. Sky used to be the limit, now they've gone over that limit and angered an entire nation.
They can stick their sataelite dishes up their arses.

irishgeo · 06-07-2002 11:38AM

i have to wonder what the FAI are doing. They must have the worst PR man in history.

RTE are in trouble now. With the huge amount of ad revenue they are going to lose etc.

The Irish team success has gone to the FAIs head and they are the worst bunch of people ever.

I cant wait for the review.

Poor RTE. After getting Eammon back as well.We will miss his comments but what he said about the FAI is true.

I wonder will SKY hire eammon.

What about the law saying certain Events had to be shown on terristeral. LIke in england. The FA Cup etc. What did we protect.

I bet the Dept of Communications or what ever it is will step in.

Mossy Monk · 06-07-2002 11:43AM

i don't blame Sky for this. it is those incompetant back stabbing bastards at Merrion Square i blame. why did they sell out (again!!) to the fans. not everyone has Sky Sports and a pub is not an ideal environment for children. i don't know if they already have one but the government should have a system where certain events have to be available live on terrestrial channels. they do this in the UK. it is an absolute disgrace what the FAI have done. they should be sacked

snake_eyes · 06-07-2002 11:45AM

I think this is one thing the FAI aren't totally to blame for. There is a going rate for these sort of rights. RTE paid them up untill now. They now refuse to even equal the amount they paid for the last deal. I think the FAI would be doing all the small clubs a huge disservice to take it up the ass from RTE. The national broadcaster should be doing its duty and paying the going rate. If its all the FAIs fault how come only RTE wouldnt even pay for the secondary rights - to show the full match an hour after the final whistle.

pro_gnostic_8 · 06-07-2002 11:56AM

Originally posted by Blindpew
I think also the players could call a meeting among themselves and show solidarity with all the skyless fans.

I can't see that happening. This is the same group who wouldn't show solidarity with their Team Captain out in Saipan in his protest against FAI incompetency.

This lot are not going to rock the boat of their FAI masters over an issue such as this.

pro_gnostic_8 · 06-07-2002 12:12PM

Originally posted by snake_eyes
They now refuse to even equal the amount they paid for the last deal. If its all the FAIs fault how come only RTE wouldnt even pay for the secondary rights - to show the full match an hour after the final whistle.

Maybe I've got it wrong, but, my understanding was that RTE was in negotiation with FAI up to the last minute while it seems the deal had already been done with SKY.
Like a previous post suggested, were there brown envelopes circulating around Merrion Square?

Whatever the background, I'm so angry over this you wouldn't believe it. Thing is, tho', what can I do in protest?. Like, I still want to support the team and see the home games, but it will stick in my gut to have to pay SKY for the priviledge. Is there anything we can do to show our anger?

Blindpew · 06-07-2002 12:24PM

If the government had granted RTE a license increase they might have been able to afford to bid. I wouldn't mind paying more money to a national TV station, but I won't pay money to an English company to watch the Irish National team.

anthonymcg · 06-07-2002 12:49PM

Can anyone say "boycott the first home game"? We should show the FAI what the fans think of them and him them where it hurts em, in their pockets. I know a full boycott would be hard to achieve but I reckon the ordinary fans, normally standing or seated in north and south ends should stay away. Also, the schoolboy contingent should also boycott it. This is unheard of in Europe that a non-terrestrial channel has been given sole rights to show the live games. The FAI has once again proven the presence of greed and incompetency which goes right to the core of their organisation. We cannot let this lie.

DS · 06-07-2002 12:53PM

Originally posted by snake_eyes
If its all the FAIs fault how come only RTE wouldnt even pay for the secondary rights - to show the full match an hour after the final whistle.

If the government had granted RTE a license increase they might have been able to afford to bid. I wouldn't mind paying more money to a national TV station, but I won't pay money to an English company to watch the Irish National team.

RTE didn't even have the chance to outbid Sky. They were in negotiations right up until the night before. They then received the news via TV3's News at 5.30 yesterday. They can't be blamed in the slightest.

irelandforever · 06-07-2002 01:47PM

Its an absolute disgrace. Is this how they repay the fans? Only 20% of the irish public has access to sky sports. Was it not bad enough that there incompatance resulted in the roy keane affair now they do this. I think everyone should boycott the next home game

KdjaCL · 06-07-2002 02:29PM

Well some have said it only way to make a protest is a boycott of home games.

Kdja

zAbbo · 06-07-2002 02:35PM

Ayone wanna do something about this, say set up an online site etc.

just use a free .tk addy and the hosting can be sorted out by like minded folk among boards.

Dustaz · 06-07-2002 02:46PM

While i agree that the FAI are an utter shower of money grabbing idiots and have sold out the irish public, there are a number of inaccuracies being bandied about here.

For a start it wasnt long ago that TV3 had the exclusive rights to our home games. This isnt the first time that RTE have been outbid because they refused to believe an organisation would have the temerity to accept a higher bid than that of the national broadcaster.

This is unheard of in Europe that a non-terrestrial channel has been given sole rights to show the live games.

This is also nothing new in europe. In England where they have laws to ensure that sporting events that are in the national interest remain on Terrestrial Television (Wimbledon, World Cup, Grand National etc), Sky have the rights to englands rugby team and soccer teams home games. So were not the only country to go through this.

Contrary to belief, RTE dont spend this on american sitcoms, they dont spend anywhere near that amount on imported programmes, which is why TV3 are able to prise programmes like Coronation St so easily from them.

Anyway, having said all that, Doesnt the Government have a similar provision to the brits in terms of keeping sporting events in the national interest on terrestrial TV? The FAI could have a field day saying 'Oh, this money is for the grassroots of the game, theres nothing stopping us' and they would be 100% right if there is no such provision (theyd be lieing - wheres the ads for the start of the eircom league for example?)

b20uvkft6m5xwg · 06-07-2002 02:56PM

We have to apply through the EU Dusty.

In order to envoke the "event of national and cultural" importance provision and hence request a mandate that an event air on terestial TV.

The last time the issue was raised was in re:Síle DeValera and the Irish- English Rugby match in Twickenham which was being showed only on SKY and hence not anywhere live on Irish TV.

AFAIK, they didn't apply for that as there are a finite number of times with which you can apply, but I think they are only "event - based" and not whole qualifying campaigns.

--
BTW, I think the Dutch home matches are only available on Digital/Satelite.

Thanx 4 The Fish · 06-07-2002 03:07PM

Maybe an alternative idea would be for the Government to deduct 7 million from their grant to the FAI. This would be a sweet irony and show this shower of winkers that there is no profit to be had in depriving the soccer public of the pleasure of watching the team.

Cracking idea, that might just teach them to conduct themselves a bit better in the future.

The FAI how outdone themselves now.....

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