Quote: Ian 77 Redux "It's been this way for 17 plus years hasn't it? We're a minority sport and they provide a massive part of our funding. We'd be largely part time without that money. We need Sky more than they need us, sadly. As long as that's true, we'll have to live with it.'"
100% agreement
Going back to the original post.
The Friday night/Saturday night has not always been set in stone.
A decade or so ago, it was Friday night/SUNDAY night, and before that, it was Friday night (live) and Sunday's game was extended highlights of a game from that day.
I prefer Monday nights (as I work Saturday nights)
The BBC delayed the kick-off due to some game of Scottish golf. Well, wouldn't you if you've spent millions getting TONS of gear up to the top end of the British Isles. It takes DAYS to set up a television broadcast for golf. They're not going to turn it off, just for the PREVIEW of a game played by (mostly) parochial Northerners, when there's been live coverage for 2 days, and edited highlights for the previous 2 days. IF (and it's a big if) the golf play-off had kept on going, and they had to keep on playing the 18th @ Castle Stuart 'til they found a winner, I'm damned sure the match commisioner @ Salford would have said "#### this for a game of soldiers, the match starts now". I'm pretty sure the majority of people in the UK have all switched over to digital broadcasting now, so all the punter had to do was press the red button. Not exactly a hardship now, is it.
The gates are down, because
1) There is little interest in the CC now (unfortunately), except the Final.
Our game v Bradford, and Pies v Stains in the last round, prove it. Add to this, a WHOLE STAND not being used for Wigan v Leeds on Saturday is an indictment of this.
2) Our own club's tactics (v Salford a couple of weeks ago, re team selection) prove that every game in the regular season is not a "be all and end all" search for 2 points. Coaches now take risks in squad rotation. Punters don't like it when it isn't "pulled off" so they sometimes "stay away".
3) There are few and far between shock results, anymore, in the cup. 99% of the time, the clear fav, wins. People's pockets aren't full anymore, so they pick and chose their matches.
We depend on Sky (and to a little extent, the BBC). WE NEED THEIR MONEY, AND EXPOSURE. If Sky say jump, we (unfortunately) have to say "how high". As Esther Rantzen would say, "That's Life"
