Know Your Rights

The BBC has secured a four-year shared rights deal with BT Sport that will see both broadcasters show the FA Cup from the start of the 2014-15 season. BBC1 will broadcast the competition, with live streaming available across online, mobile and tablet devices. The contract, which runs for four years from 2014, means that FA Cup ties will be shared between the BBC and BT whilst, tragically, ITV has retained the rights to England's home matches, with their risible, poxy coverage. Added together, the FA's income for the FA Cup and England's home matches is believed to be approaching the high watermark of the four hundred and twenty five million notes paid by ITV and Setanta in 2007. 'Bringing the FA Cup back to the BBC was something I really wanted to do,' said BBC director general Tony Hall. 'I am so pleased that we have achieved it for football fans everywhere,' Hall added. 'There is something very special about big national moments on the BBC and the FA Cup should absolutely be one of them. The Olympics, Wimbledon and Glastonbury have shown how our audiences love it when we put the full weight of all our services on TV, radio and digital behind covering these events in depth and in ways no-one else can. Working closely with the FA I believe we will change the way we view the FA Cup forever.' The deal was announced at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT Retail said: "BT Sport made a determined joint bid to retain the FA Cup rights because we believe it is one of the truly great club football competitions. 'We are thrilled to bring our viewers the incredible stories of passion, and victories against all odds, that pepper the history of the competition.' Details of how many games will be shown live by the BBC have yet to be released. Radio coverage of the FA Cup also continues on BBC Radio 5Live until 2018. Led by Gary Lineker, the BBC's presentation of the FA Cup will become an integral part of the BBC1 schedule. The FA Cup is added to the BBC's TV football portfolio, centred on Match of the Day and which also includes The Football League Show, with action from every game in the Football League, the current UEFA Women's European Championships and the 2014 World Cup. In addition, 5Live will this season broadcast live football commentary of one hundred and twenty eight Premier League games, as well as games in the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League. New FA chairman, Greg Dyke added: 'I would like to thank everyone who expressed an interest in these FA Cup broadcast rights and congratulate the BBC and BT Sport on their successful tenders. Their valuable support underlines what a great competition the FA Cup is and how important it is to the sporting calendar. ITV have done a tremendous job in recent years and we look forward to their fantastic continued support of the England team. The BBC is obviously an organisation I know very well but I don't think anyone would dispute that their name goes hand in hand with some of the most famous FA Cup moments of yesteryear. We're delighted that the competition is back on their channels, not just through television but with significant online presence as well.'

FIFA and UEFA have lost an appeal against a European ruling that the World Cup and Euro Championships must be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK. In 2011, the European General Court said that the UK could keep the events on a list of 'protected' events of national sporting interest broadcast for free. It means the two tournaments cannot be sold exclusively to pay-TV firms. FIFA and UEFA had appealed, in their greed, claiming that they could not sell the events fairly for their 'real value.' But the European Court of Justice - Europe's Supreme Court - has now said the original decision in the General Court (formerly the Court of First Instance) in 2011 was correct. The BBC and ITV had already secured the rights to broadcast the football World Cup finals in 2014, and they were guaranteed of being shown free-to-air. But there had been fears that moves towards a pay-TV model would have been in place in time for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, should FIFA and UEFA have won their case. The court said it 'dismisses the appeals brought by FIFA and UEFA in their entirety'. Even if FIFA had won its case, World Cup finals games featuring England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would have remained free to watch in the UK, as would the opening games, semi-finals and the final. But it was the other dozens of games featuring non-UK teams that FIFA was disputing - and had argued that matches such as these should not be shown for free in the UK. FIFA and UEFA had argued that the current set-up 'interfered' with their ability to sell television rights at the 'best commercial price' they could get in the marketplace. However, the UK argued that all the sixty four World Cup finals matches and thirty one European Championship matches were 'an important part' of the list of national sporting 'crown jewels', that have to be made available to the whole population to watch on terrestrial television. And the court agreed, saying that European states were able to select broadcast events, 'which they deem to be of major importance for society' and show them for free. Otherwise it 'would deprive a substantial proportion of the public of the possibility of following those events on free television.' Belgium was also successful in keeping the rights to World Cup and European Championship matches on free-to-air services. Despite the more than two-year wait for the result of the appeal by FIFA and UEFA, many experts had expected the decision to go against them. 'The result means that FIFA and UEFA have now reached the end of their European Court journey,' said Daniel Geey, a TV sports rights expert at Field Fisher Waterhouse law firm. 'Their aim was to try and secure concessions to market some of their World Cup and Euro matches to pay-TV channels in the UK and Belgium with the ultimate aim of maximising their revenues. The European courts have rebuffed such an approach.' And placed their odious greed in check. Which is great news.

Papiss Demba Cissé has pulled out of yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle's pre-season tour to Portugal after refusing to wear club sponsor Wonga's logo on religious grounds. The Senegal striker, a Muslim, told club officials that he was not prepared to promote the money-lending company. But the twenty eight-year-old did offer to wear an unbranded shirt or one bearing a charity logo instead. It leaves Cissé's future with the club in some doubt, with alleged 'sources' allegedly describing the relationship between the parties as 'strained.' The forward and his representatives have been in talks with club officials and the Professional Footballers' Association in recent days but neither the club nor their shirt sponsor have been able to find a solution. Cissé's Newcastle team-mates Cheick Tiote and Moussa Sissoko are also Muslim, but have told the club they have no issue with wearing the sponsor's logo. Cissé will continue to train on his own as he attempts to catch up on his fitness after returning later than the majority of the squad following international duty with Senegal. Both camps are hopeful that a solution can be found, but it seems Cissé is not prepared to move on his position. In October, high-interest pay-day lender Wonga was announced as the company to take over from Virgin Money as Newcastle's shirt sponsor from the 2013-14 season. It is thought the contract is worth around eight million quid a year to the club and its owner, Mike Ashley, a man who seems to know the price of everything but the value of nothing. Speaking in June, PFA deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes told BBC Sport: 'We're all aware that clubs need to generate revenue and sometimes have to use a wide range of companies. However, if someone feels very, very strongly that it's not compatible with their beliefs, then some sort of solution should be found.' Cissé joined the Magpies in January 2012 and has scored twenty six times in all competitions.

You Can't Keep Away From The Football

BSkyB has muscled out challenger BT to secure key matches at the start of the Premier League season, including The Scum's clashes with other top teams, José Mourinho's first fixture back at Moscow Chelski FC and Manuel Pellegrini's first game in charge of Sheikh Yer Man City. The first round of televised Premier League fixtures published on Thursday reveal that Sky Sports has focused its efforts on stopping BT from covering The Scum's top matches, which traditionally attract the biggest football audiences, including the Manchester derby. BT's top matches in the opening weeks of the 2013-14 season are the London derby clash between Stottingtot Hotshots and Moscow Chelski FC and Everton versus Liverpool Alamaba Yee-Haws in the Merseyside derby. However, while Sky has plucked the pick of the top Premier League games until December, BT could have a strong end to the season, as it has only exercised five of its eighteen first picks, leaving with it with thirteen first picks at the business end of the season. Sky has exercised eight of its twenty picks, leaving it with twelve. But the contrast in the early games is marked, with BT's first game of the season Liverpool Alabama Yee-Haws versus Stoke, while Sky is airing David Moyes' much-anticipated first game in charge of The Scum in a free-to-air live broadcast, in an effort to get one-over on BT, which has spent seven hundred and thirty eight million notes over three years securing the rights to thirty eight live matches a season. Sky paid £2.3bn for one hundred and sixteen matches per season. Sky is also showing every fixture between last season's top four clubs and will have shown a live match featuring every Premier League team at least once by 6 October. But BT does have some prize games in the first half of the season, including Spurs Versus The Scum. The Sky Sports managing director, Barney Francis, said: 'This is our biggest ever season of Premier League football. When you look at the opening fixtures in black and white, you can see that no other broadcaster comes close to the quality that we offer. Sky Sports will show every match between last season's top four as well as every club at least twice by December. We'll have more than three times as many matches as BT, and our schedule is even stronger than it was last season. With the best team of analysts, a fantastic new weekend schedule and coverage from the Football League, UEFA Champions League, La Liga and the SPL, this is the best ever football season for Sky Sports viewers.' The director of BT Sport, Simon Green, said: 'We are thrilled that BT Sport viewers will be able to enjoy these top-of-the-table matches free with BT broadband. This is the first time in Premier League history that top-pick matches have been shown anywhere other than on Sky, but Sky TV customers can easily add BT Sport by calling us and if they have BT broadband they can get it for free.' Sky's opening weekend of games will feature the return of Jose Mourinho as Moscow Chelski FC manager at home to recently promoted Hull City and Shiekh Yer Man City's new boss Manuel Pellegrini's first game in charge at home to yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though tragically unsellable) Newcastle United. Stottingtot Hotshot's trip to Crystal Palace at 1.30pm on Sunday 18 August will also be shown. Outside of the Premier League, the Championship Yorkshire derby between Dirty Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday will also be free for all Sky subscribers on 17 August at 1.30pm.

Alan Pardew insists he is still in charge of team affairs at yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though, tragically, unsellable) Newcastle United following that arsehole Joe Kinnear's appointment as Director of Football. Or, if what Pardew says is true, effectively, Director of Eff-All. The Magpies owner, flabby billionaire tyrant Mike Ashley, brought former boss Kinnear back to Tyneside to 'oversee recruitment', with Pardew formally reporting to the foul-mouthed sixty six-year-old fantasist. However, Pardew claims that he is 'confident' he will maintain control of first-team affairs. 'I'm my own man and I will manage this football club to the best of my ability,' he told BBC Newcastle's Mick Lowes. Kinnear's arrival at Newcastle was shrouded in controversy when, like the biggest plank in the whole world, Kinnear announced the news himself through interviews with television stations and on radio before the club had confirmed the news, days later. Kinnear claimed after his appointment that his job as Director of Eff-All did 'not put pressure' on Pardew, amid questions about how this alteration in the club's management structure would impact on the manager's future. Kinnear, spectacularly, made a number of factually incorrect statements in his various media outbursts, such as claiming to have signed goalkeeper Tim Krul and defender James Perch for United when, in actual fact, he had nothing to do with the recruitment of either and wildly exaggerating his achievements in the game. He also mispronounced the names of several Newcastle players. At one point there appeared the genuine possibility that he was about to announce that he was up for the part of The Doctor after Matt Smith goes. 'Some of the things Joe said, he's apologised for, especially getting the names wrong of our players. That needs to be corrected, because there's a certain respect needed there,' Pardew noted. 'I spoke to one or two players and my staff here and made them very aware of where the position lies. If Joe can persuade Mike to invest in the football club in the right manner, then that would be the best outcome for us. As well as we've done on the transfer market, there's always room for improvement and I spoke to Joe and told him where I think the weaknesses in the squad are. I told him I need to strengthen them and I've got a couple of ideas.' The appointment of Kinnear also led to confusion regarding the position of the club's acclaimed chief scout Graham Carr, but he along with Pardew and Kinnear will continue to source signings - at least, for the time being. What has changed at the club is the departure of managing director Derek Llambias, with facets of his former post shared between finance director John Irving and secretary Lee Charnley. 'You could say Joe is fulfilling the role that Derek had to a degree, but Lee will fill the other part of that role, he's got great experience,' Pardew added. 'Between myself, Lee and Joe we hope to get some transfers over the line, and some out by the way, because the squad is probably a little thick in some areas. Graham comes up with one or two suggestions, I come up with the same, we probably have a list of four that myself and Graham think will take the team forward, we present that to Joe, and he presents it to the owner. Joe has to dress that up for the chairman in terms of the finance, in terms of how it will work and then Lee comes in and hopefully we get the player over the line. Mike feels Joe probably knows the scene better than Derek. That might be Mike's opinion, but as far as I'm concerned the most important factor for Joe is transfers.' So, there you go, as clear as mud. After arriving at St James' Park in December 2010, Pardew led Newcastle United to twelfth place in the Premier League, a highly creditable finish, but his first full season in charge surpassed all expectations. Fuelled by the signings of Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse, the Magpies only just missed out on a Champions League place, finishing fifth. However, a lack of signings in the build-up to last season, added to the extra demands of European football in the Europa League, took its toll on Newcastle's Premier League form in 2012-13, and although January signings such as Moussa Sissoko, Mathieu Debuchy and Yoan Gouffran helped to stabilise their form, a sixteenth place finish was a severe disappointment following the apparent progress of the previous year. 'I've been involved with clubs where if you take the title away, it's a similar role,' Pardew noted about working with a Director of Eff-All. 'I had Les Reed at Southampton; I had the Chairman at Southampton who was quite influential - probably more influential than Joe has any intention of being - so I have got experience of it. When I was at West Ham I had Trevor Brooking to lean on so I've had good experiences and bad experiences of it. I'm very open minded to Joe's position and I'll take it as I see it, but one thing that you need to know and people who work with me will know - I'm my own man, I'll manage this football club, manage this team to the best of my ability. I think that on the back of last year, I'm even more motivated to do well this year.' He added: 'I was disappointed on the sidelines last year with the performances, nothing more. The fans never upset me once if I'm honest. A couple of the media I thought were a little bit personal, as managers you have to wear that and take that on the chin and I'm long enough in the tooth to be able to do that. On the whole, I thought the fans were pretty tolerant if I'm honest and as you say, I lost a few fans along the way. I've gotta win 'em back. So I intend to do that and that's really how my mind works. I look at the squad and I think we've got a good squad. We don't have the inexperience that we had last year of Europe. I know people talk about excuses of Europe, injuries or whatever, same old same old, but was it was an impact - you can't get away from it. Swansea are gonna find out this year when they play Thursday to Sunday - we ain't got that. I'm looking forward to giving these players a week's work and then a game, week's work and then a game. If you look at my record with that it's very good in the Premier League when I've had that period. The two cups last year were deeply disappointing, they fell at very difficult times for us particularly the FA Cup. I've got to be honest, it really upset me that team because I know sometimes fans think a manager's not as emotional as them, trust me that's not the case. I'm almost an adopted Geordie, trust me and on my travels I've seen many fans this summer and they've all relayed to me that they really want us to do better than last year and I do as well. My message to them really and truly is that I've got a seven year contract left to manage this football club and I'm gonna manage it to the best of my ability and I hope that what we wish for is what I can deliver.'

Four clubs involved in two play-off matches that ended 79-0 and 67-0 respectively have been suspended in Nigeria. Plateau United Feeders were 79-0 victors over Akurba FC while Police Machine FC demolished Bubayaro FC 67-0. 'It is unacceptable - a scandal of huge proportions,' said Muke Umeh, chairman of the Nigerian Football Federation Organising Committee. 'The teams are suspended indefinitely, pending further sanctions.' Plateau United Feeders and Police Machine went into the matches level on points, with promotion to the lowest tier of the Nationwide League Division at stake. Feeders scored seventy two of their goals in the second half, while Police Machine reportedly scored sixty one times after the break in their game. The results meant that Plateau edged above Police Machine on goal difference. Umeh added: 'We will investigate this matter thoroughly and get to the bottom of it.' The NFF's director of competitions, Doctor Mohammed Sanusi, gave assurances that the Organising Committee would hand out 'severe sanctions' on 'all persons and institutions' indicted by the investigation. 'The teams involved, their players and officials, match officials, coordinator and anyone found to have played some role in this despicable matter would be severely dealt with,' Sanusi said.