Sky Sports to the rescue!!!!!

[BRM]

FOOTBALL LEAGUE ON SKY SPORTS

Sky Sports have secured the rights to broadcast live Football League, Worthington Cup and LDV Vans Trophy for the next four years.

The £95million new deal was renegotiated following the collapse of ITV Digital.

Live matches will return to Sky Sports in August 2002. The will deliver over 300 live matches to Sky Sports by the end of the 2005-06 season.

For each of the four seasons 2002-03 to 2005-06 Sky Sports will cover:

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

· 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 knockout competition plus Semi-Finals and the Final, for the first major cup of the season, exclusively live.

Sky Sports will also cover the Final of the LDV Vans Trophy live each season.

Live weekend matches will be scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with regular evening kick-off times, each match subject to approval.

The first live fixtures for the season will be announced shortly.

Announcing the new deal, Football League Chief Executive David Burns, said: "This is great news for The Football League and its clubs and we are absolutely delighted to be returning to Sky Sports. This agreement will help to provide financial stability to clubs at a very important time, as well as top class coverage of our games."

Vic Wakeling, Managing Director of Sky Sports said: "Sky are delighted to be involved with The Football League. We hope that the clubs can now plan for the future and we will soon schedule the first live matches, with the League and the clubs, so that fans can plan their opening weeks of the season."

"We also look forward to the Playoff Finals - which produce some of the most exciting games of the season - and the Worthington Cup Final - which grants the first European place. This season Sky Sports will offer viewers over 300 live matches. Viewers will know where to find live football and can enjoy competitive games from across the League alongside exclusively live matches from the Premiership."



From Sky sports.com

Great news for all fans of nationwide league team.

sky sports i love you





:xyx :xyx

[Sabba Simba]

Bloody brilliant isn't it? Plus, we get to see all the goals every night on Sky Sports news!

50 Division One games live is great, hopefully they'll show Millwall's games at Wolves, Forest, Burnley, Stoke, Portsmouth and Leicester! :D

Only setback (although it is minor) is the 5:35pm kick-offs, but if it's saving clubs I don't really care!

[BRM]

I don't think the ko time are that bad you can catch a game in the pub after the game, you've just been too.:D

[Bookerman]

so the have taken the english league big deal

[Sabba Simba]

It's a big deal for supporters of teams in the Nationwide League. Was there any need to bring up this thread just to slag it off?

[Russ]

I'm glad Sky stepped in. Despite some other people's lack of enthusiasm, as a neutral I'm glad Sky have got more football to show. I definetly missed the lower leagues last year, due to not owning ITV Digital, but I hope Sky bring back the Sunday lunch time games. There's not much else on except F1 on Sunday afternoons, and I used to watch a lot of 1st Division football when I was bored. Plus, it keeps clubs in business, and I'm sure nobody wanted to see any clubs go out of business.

Anyway, kudos to Sky for snapping up the rights. Hopefully they'll show ITV Digital how football should be broadcast.

[Goldy]

Im really pleased aswell,dont know how im gonna fit all this footie and westling in!! i support a 1st div club and didnt think id b seeing them on sky!Big up 2 Sky