Leeds United have made a last minute capitulation and “reluctantly” agreed to allow Tuesday evening’s Championship game with Derby County to be broadcast live on Sky.
The decision of Massimo Cellino, the owner, was taken at around 2pm, the club issuing a statement just before Sky's own cut-off point regarding the time it required to prepare for the broadcast.
Leeds had faced a range of sanctions from a warning of expulsion from the Football League though the more likely penalty if found guilty of misconduct would have been a fine.
Leeds said on the club website: “It is to be noted that the league threaten a disrepute charge against the club. It is the league who are bringing their own competition into disrepute by unfairly prejudicing Leeds (and certain other clubs) by allowing Sky to unfairly disrupt Leeds United for their own commercial purposes.”
The visit of Derby will be the fourth time a home Leeds game has been shown live, and the 10th time in total the club has been broadcast this term. For each home match the club receive around £120,000, if on a Sunday, and £100,000 for any other day. Leeds also receive just shy of £2m from the overall broadcast package agreed between the Football League and Sky, plus a solidarity payment from the Premier League that derives from monies paid from the broadcaster.
Leeds, nevertheless, accused the governing body of putting the interests of Sky first. “The Football League regulations are supposed to be there to protect the integrity of the sporting competition, not to be used as a stick to beat the club on behalf of Sky. Leeds United season ticket holders have had enough of these fixture changes, the players and staff have had enough, and Leeds United has had enough.
“Leeds United have reluctantly allowed Sky cameras into Elland Road to broadcast tonight’s fixture against Derby County. Leeds United have noted that the majority of press reports on the matter have quite rightly appreciated that the club’s issues with the Football League relate in part to the entirely disproportionate number of times Sky have selected the club for live transmission.
“Recent good results have been achieved despite the alterations to the fixture list, but at great cost to the players’ fitness and a substantial injury list. The festive plans of supporters have also been entirely ruined by Sky’s live TV selections.”
There is bemusement at Sky over Cellino’s stance, given the high amount of finance Leeds receive from the collective agreement the club signed up to. Given that Leeds have the opportunity to discuss the televising of their games with the Football League, Cellino could first have engaged in a dialogue to try and avert the dispute.
Yet it is understood at a recent meeting between clubs and the Football League to discuss broadcast times and the planning of future matches for television, no executives from Leeds attended.
A Football League spokesman confirmed: “Sky Sports personnel have now been granted access to Elland Road and this evening’s match between Leeds United and Derby County will be broadcast as scheduled.”
(Guardian service)
