Mark Cooper

[Tails]

That's the issue though. 72 clubs in 90 minutes, even if it's only 36 games, is a ridiculous format. It simply needs to be either longer or split up into 45 minute programmes for each league. If they can bang on for half an hour about a single premiership game then they can talk for 45 minutes on 12 (probably less because of games not always being on a Saturday) League games.

Football in this country is lop-sided in every way, and the TV coverage is part of that. I'm not saying that Swindon is unfairly treated, or that Claridge is a twat or anything, or that the audience will be the same size as MOTD, but you can't have something like MOTD for half a dozen games and then cram 72 clubs into the same time frame. It's just not on.

To add to this, League One doesn't seem to feature until at least 40 minutes in. So that's half the time for two leagues.

[herthab]

The simple fact is that The Premier League generates much more interest and viewing figures. For example; how many people really give a shit how Fleetwood got on, apart from Fleetwood fans?

Average viewing figures for MOTD - over 4 million.

Average viewing figures for TFLS - 1.1 million.

Of course football is lop sided, but it's not just in this country. Most people are more interested in the top tier, wherever you go. In fact I'd be surprised if the 2nd/3rd/4th tiers in Italy, Germany, Spain, etc, get any television programme dedicated solely to them.

How long has the FLS been going? Not long. Before then it was a couple of minutes on the regional news, if that.

[4D]

Surely you remember Saturday soccer special?

[suttonred]

The highlights used to be a two liner on teletext, and maybe a line in the Sunday paper, before all this devils brew internet and digital television malarkey.

[herthab]

Surely you remember Saturday soccer special?

Haha. Yeah, vaguely. But as soon as the Premiership was invented tv execs realised that the only way to generate high viewing figures for football on the box was to focus on the cream that is the top flight.

[Red Frog]

The simple fact is that The Premier League generates much more interest and viewing figures. For example; how many people really give a shit how Fleetwood got on, apart from Fleetwood fans?

Average viewing figures for MOTD - over 4 million.

Average viewing figures for TFLS - 1.1 million.

Of course football is lop sided, but it's not just in this country. Most people are more interested in the top tier, wherever you go. In fact I'd be surprised if the 2nd/3rd/4th tiers in Italy, Germany, Spain, etc, get any television programme dedicated solely to them.

How long has the FLS been going? Not long. Before then it was a couple of minutes on the regional news, if that.

France has a ppv channel showing Ligue 2 games live every week. Attendances vary between 1k to 20k.

[herthab]

France has a ppv channel showing Ligue 2 games live every week. Attendances vary between 1k to 20k.

Pay per view isn't the National broadcaster showing a highlights programme on their main channel though, is it? Sky (I think) regularly have FL games on, but given the number of sports channels they have, they can afford to.

[horlock07]

Is Late Kick Off still on or has that gone?

[Exiled Bob]

We used to have live coverage of 2nd Division games on the box every week back in the 90s, with Swindon being regulars.....especially during the Hoddle days. Mind you Swindon was considered a Midlands team in those days, being shown on Central TV. Handy for me at the time as I lived near Coventry....

[RWB Robin]

I have no problem with the format really.  They focus more on the Championship, they choose a particular club to do a little article on, and that can seem quite random, which is fine.  But the fact is, there IS a format, and they do focus on the top five or six clubs in League 1, with slightly longer highlights and a brief extract of a manager's comments, and then simply show the goals from the rest.  If there is a format, stick to it....Swindon are in the top six, they are scoring goalos, are unbeaten in six, and are generally provoking quite a lot of comment.  Why then are they not in that first segment of League 1 coverage?  And Claridge is an opiniated mong, but then he is expected to have something to say even about clubs and players whom he has probably never heard of!!

[Reg Smeeton]

The BBC are very keen to bin the FLS, which is why they stick it on so late, and don't show anything when there's an international break, despite the fact there'll still be some matches going on.

 A shame, because it's better than nothing...as for Claridge, I don't dislike the fella, OK sometimes he can be a bit annoying, but I respect him as a journeyman footballer, who plainly does like playing, and probably still turns out, for a pub team or something.

He spent most of his time in the lower leagues, and does have at least some sort of handle, on what the level is about....so for example Manish, was getting lubed up about Lansdown and the Shitheads, whereas Claridge pointed out, they were entitled to doing OK in Div 3 for the 40 odd mill that Lansdown has spunked on them.

[pauld]

The BBC are very keen to bin the FLS

How do you know this? Serious question, is this a widely known thing or something they've hinted at somewhere?

[Tails]

Someone probably wrote it on swindon-town-fc.co.uk

[Reg Smeeton]

How do you know this? Serious question, is this a widely known thing or something they've hinted at somewhere?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/football-league-show-to-be-axed-by-bbc-98890

It was very much up in the air 3 years ago, but then a new contract was signed which may expire at season's end.

With the Tories likely turn the screw even harder on Mr and Mrs Joe Public, should they be re-elected or in a coalition with UKIP, then Auntie faces an uncertain future of licence fee freezes and cuts.

PS, the original link to a media trade outlet, was originally fine, giving a bit more detail, to the background, but then went to a subscription needed thing, once posted on here....so here's a replacement article from the Mirror

[Berniman]

Is Late Kick Off still on or has that gone?

That doesn't start until January/February every year, they only get interested towards the end of the season.