Oh well, as you know the Football League's new TV deal with Sky was announced last week. (Click here for some immediate, haphazard thoughts.) Unfortunately, it's all turned out to be a bit of a mess.
Some First Division Chairmen have used the deal as an immediate and convenient opportunity to return to their separatist agenda. They seem to think First Division clubs should have been consulted especially. Why? They are also annoyed that the new deal isn't as skewed towards the First Division as the old one was. Why should it be? Even though some of these people have been in the First Division for a whole season now, they seem to forget that what division you're in is only temporary. There is not a club amongst the 24 that hasn't played at a lower level. The connection between the divisions, and the fact that clubs move rapidly between them, is what makes league football work. But as soon as something happens that they don't agree with, we're immediately back to talks of restructuring the League and detaching the First Division. You'd almost think they're just waiting for the chance.
Still, be thankful that at least Geoffrey Richmond is having to keep his gob shut at the moment.
The deal isn't great, and I object to people talking it up as though it's our salvation, but you have to wonder what the Theo Paphitis' of this world (you know the one, the man who's decided we can't support our team at Millwall next season) expected, exactly? There don't seem to have been any other deals on offer. Sky's was the only one on the table. What was the League supposed to do in a buyer's market? Hold out for more and risk losing the deal? And what would the reaction have been then?
How pathetic at a time when we should all to be standing united and stressing a simple, eloquent message of protest against Carlton and Granada that we are squabbling with each other. We're supposed to be taking a stand but all you can hear are arguments. Carlton and Granada must be very happy indeed.
This is not to say that the League has been perfect. I thought the timing of the announcement of the deal was bad, coming a few days before the start of the protest and undermining our message. They also haven't succeeded in getting across the message that Carlton and Granada have welched on their promises and cannot be trusted. Keith Harris of the League appeared on Radio Five yesterday morning and managed not to mention the protest that was taking place that day once! This was outstanding hopelessness. By the way, if you wanted to find out about the protest yesterday there was no point looking at the Football League's site - there was nothing on there. Why are we only protesting for a couple of hours at lunchtime anyway? We hardly look serious.
No, the Football League aren't blameless. But, ahead of our participation in the protest on 12 July, remember the important stuff. Carlton and Granada are in the wrong and they must pay. The new deal isn't great, but it's all we've got. And some First Division Chairmen will use every chance to agitate for more money and power. Everything else is fluff.
