Kettering Town

[ChrisJbarnes]

taken from a fulham fansite. i think its a disgrace that KTFC arent being shown against a premiership team and fair play to them in this case to be honest.

 

Kettering Town reached the 4th round of the FA Cup last Saturday for only the second time in 136 years, one of only two teams from the 670 non-league entrants to make it this far. Even more improbably, the draw pitted Kettering against Premier League side Fulham owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, which made it the competition’s first ever clash between two Muslim owners.

 

Kettering Town and the football world looked forward to a great challenge while the club anticipated the traditional windfall that every non-league team expects when drawn at home to a Premier League side –a cheque for £160,000 for live TV coverage. Televising the game would have had a further benefit – a chance for Kettering’s shirt, which carries the slogan Palestine Aid, to raise awareness and charitable aid for the humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

 

But yesterday afternoon ITV and Setanta took the almost unprecedented step of not choosing as one of their live matches a non-league team drawn at home to a Premier League side. Not only is it a tradition that such a tie is screened live, the schedule chosen contradicts the Football Association’s stated objective “to use The FA Cup to redistribute funds throughout the game” as Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham were all screened live in the 3rd round, whilst Tottenham will be live on TV for six consecutive games.

 

The decision has not only shocked and angered the supporters of Kettering and Fulham, but supporters of other clubs, including Tottenham, have flooded club message boards complaining.

 

Not only will Kettering Town miss out on the much-needed windfall and millions of football supporters be deprived of watching a match that embodies the essence of the Cup, more importantly the opportunity has been lost to raise further awareness and humanitarian aid in Palestine and follow the FIFA edict that says: “Due to its values, popularity, universal nature and appeal, football (in all of its forms) can be a viable and practical instrument for achieving social and human development targets…from a 'charitable giving' approach to a meaningful 'socially responsible, involved, and committed' one.”

 

For this reason, Kettering Town have today decided to offer ITV another opportunity to broadcast our game against Fulham live and will waive our right to the £160,000 fee we would be entitled to. Furthermore, if ITV are unable to fit our game into any of their four channels, over the four day period set aside for 4th round games, we will allow Setanta Sports to screen our game, on any of their seven channels, again waiving the £160,000 fee.

 

If, for any reason, neither ITV or Setanta can fit the game into the eleven channels and four days of programming we would ask the FA to allow the game to be moved to another date, as happened in the first round of the FA Cup, to assist ITV and Setanta with their scheduling.

 

And finally, if for any reason, none of the three options above works, we have other non-subscription TV channels that would be willing to screen the game live or allow ITV or Setanta to use their platform on any date the FA choose.

 

Chairman Imraan Ladak said "we were all very disappointed when the news was announced, but we hope our offer will allow ITV or Setanta to help increase awareness of the humanitarian crisis, whilst giving Kettering, Fulham and the neutral supporter the chance to watch one of the ties of the round."

 

We look forward to working with the FA, ITV and Setanta Sports.

 

[Dave]

It is a fucking joke like.

 

I made the point the other night that Liverpool and Everton play at least twice every season but I suppose it being a derby match means it's understandable that that tie is on the box. But Man Utd vs Spurs ffs?

[Mr. Snrub]

Defo would have been BBC's early Saturday match had they still got the rights.

[ChrisJbarnes]

its the magic of the fa cup that these ties deserve to be shown. that and noone cares about man united! really hope they get their case. sorry about caps btw

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

ITV, Setanta, Sky and the BBC (to a lesser extent but they still always pick top 4 ties when they can) only care about ratings. We all know Man U will almost always be picked by one of the channels. The 'Big' clubs get the big viewing figures.

[Syrette]

Man Utd seem to get a match on TV every week. Even in the league it would be nice to see someone else get more of a showing.

[Guest north shields lad]

Why bring muslims into it, if they wernt trying to bring religion and politics into football, especally at this critical time with the troubles in the middle east, then it probably would of been shown.

[Robster]

Another reason why the sport has lost that "spark" for me. The authorities and TV companies arent really interested in the lower leagues.

Shameful.

[Aphrodite]

They've got no chance of getting it shown, the contract says ITV can only show two games and Setanta can only show three. Feel sorry for them, but its no use bringing politics into it.

[Syrette]

Another reason why the sport has lost that "spark" for me. The authorities and TV companies arent really interested in the lower leagues.

Shameful.

 

Exactly, I still constantly hear about the "magic of the cup" and indeed it is great to see these smaller clubs playing bigger clubs and in some cases even defeating them. It's a disgrace that the suits can't see past viewing figures and the money that brings for one moment. Not everyone wants to see Spurs and Man Utd yet again, they get more than enough exposure (and cash) out of the televised league matches as it is.

[indi]

Is anyone surprised?

 

If you are, let me remind you who holds the rights now: ITV - probably the worst TV company ever, an organisation famed for it's legendary talent for getting absolutely everything wrong. The company that almost bankrupted the football league when they reneged on their contract because they'd stupidly agreed to pay way over the odds and then got into trouble because their inept effort of a digital TV platform failed due to it being shite in every way possible and therefore having no actual viewers, a platform that has subsequently been taken over by a TV company that actually knows what it's doing and is now a huge success. The company that missed a lot of the major incidents during their coverage of F1, due to cutting to the ads, including the final lap of a race - forget where - because they'd forgotten how many breaks they had taken during the race and had one left to take! The company that employs a laundry-list of people's most despised sports commentators and seems to have a production-line of people who can't describe what's happening in front of their eyes, despite that being what they are paid handsomely to do. I could go on, but basically it's ITV people!! They're shite!!

[Cronky]

There seems to be a veiled suggestion in that article that the 'Palestine Aid' logo may have put the TV companies off. Just from a quick Google search, I don't think it's the logo that they normally have on their home shirts, and there's been some controversy that Palestine Aid may be closely linked with Hamas. The whole issue may be a bit more messy and political than they're making out.

[Guest Slippery Sam]

Is anyone surprised?

 

If you are, let me remind you who holds the rights now: ITV - probably the worst TV company ever, an organisation famed for it's legendary talent for getting absolutely everything wrong. The company that almost bankrupted the football league when they reneged on their contract because they'd stupidly agreed to pay way over the odds and then got into trouble because their inept effort of a digital TV platform failed due to it being s**** in every way possible and therefore having no actual viewers, a platform that has subsequently been taken over by a TV company that actually knows what it's doing and is now a huge success. The company that missed a lot of the major incidents during their coverage of F1, due to cutting to the ads, including the final lap of a race - forget where - because they'd forgotten how many breaks they had taken during the race and had one left to take! The company that employs a laundry-list of people's most despised sports commentators and seems to have a production-line of people who can't describe what's happening in front of their eyes, despite that being what they are paid handsomely to do. I could go on, but basically it's ITV people!! They're s****!!

 

Another classic was that twat with the quiff who now presents their football progs (got him from BBC) when he said at the end of the 2006 World Cup final: ' after the break, the presentation of the Jules Rimet Trophy'. The JULES RIMET TROPHY ??

 

What about Kettering (with their shirt logo) v Tottenham in the next round ????

[ikri]

ITV should be banned from covering football at any level.

 

Whenever they get the chance to show a game you can virtually guarantee that it'll be one of the "big 4" (or spurs).

 

They care nothing about the game, everything they do is about the hype, whether players (Lampaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard!!!, Gerraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard!!!) or clubs ("that famous night in Barcelona").

 

When their commentary isn't sleep-inducing it's outright patronising, in one way Kettering should be glad that they don't have to sit through 90 minutes of being called "plucky little Kettering".

[Wullie]

This sort of thing was always going to happen upon the FA Cup leaving the BBC. On the plus side, we won't have to see Ronnie fucking Radford again.

[Wullie]

What about Kettering (with their shirt logo) v Tottenham in the next round ????

 

I liked the line:

 

supporters of other clubs, including Tottenham, have flooded club message boards complaining.

 

"Look, even the Jews agree!"

 

 

[Benwell Lad]

Kettering were very fortunate to beat Eastwood in the last round, Eastwood were the lowest ranked team in the 3rd round but got no national coverage and they play in black and white stripes.

Must be an anti black and white stripe prejudice.

[midds]

I can't imagine seeing Fulham getting knocked out would have been a particularly big attraction for neutrals. They just don't matter enough to people to interest them into watching. 

[Neil]

I can't imagine seeing Fulham getting knocked out would have been a particularly big attraction for neutrals. They just don't matter enough to people to interest them into watching. 

 

I take your point but I still think ITV have grossly mismanaged their scheduling. Imagine what the sight of a Premiership team at Kettering means to fans of teams at Kettering's levels. And this is where the problem lies. This is what ITV have just not appreciated. This is the FA Cup.

[midds]

I can't imagine seeing Fulham getting knocked out would have been a particularly big attraction for neutrals. They just don't matter enough to people to interest them into watching. 

 

I take your point but I still think ITV have grossly mismanaged their scheduling. Imagine what the sight of a Premiership team at Kettering means to fans of teams at Kettering's levels. And this is where the problem lies. This is what ITV have just not appreciated. This is the FA Cup.

 

I wasn't defending ITV by the way! I've not forgotten what ITV did to lower-league clubs with the whole ITV Digital fiasco - they're incompetent wankers.

 

BBC would have shown it because, for all their faults, I think they understand the essence of the FA Cup. ITV want the biggest viewing figures possible. That's the difference. 

[indi]

I can't imagine seeing Fulham getting knocked out would have been a particularly big attraction for neutrals. They just don't matter enough to people to interest them into watching. 

 

I take your point but I still think ITV have grossly mismanaged their scheduling. Imagine what the sight of a Premiership team at Kettering means to fans of teams at Kettering's levels. And this is where the problem lies. This is what ITV have just not appreciated. This is the FA Cup.

 

Particularly as all of their promotional material has been banging on and on about this very thing.

[Neil]

Agree with both indi and Midds.

 

I think ultimately it just goes to prove what a bunch of t**ts ITV are at this sort of thing. BBC, as mentioned, would 99.9999% likely show this.

[Disco]

I can't imagine seeing Fulham getting knocked out would have been a particularly big attraction for neutrals. They just don't matter enough to people to interest them into watching. 

 

I take your point but I still think ITV have grossly mismanaged their scheduling. Imagine what the sight of a Premiership team at Kettering means to fans of teams at Kettering's levels. And this is where the problem lies. This is what ITV have just not appreciated. This is the FA Cup.

 

I wasn't defending ITV by the way! I've not forgotten what ITV did to lower-league clubs with the whole ITV Digital fiasco - they're incompetent wankers.

 

BBC would have shown it because, for all their faults, I think they understand the essence of the FA Cup. ITV want the biggest viewing figures possible. That's the difference. 

 

ITV need ratings to get advertisers to fund themselves - hence the big teams

BBC do no need ratings to fund themselves

 

Although its easy to have a dig at ITV it is understandable why they have shown it from their POV

[AyeDubbleYoo]

The only point of the FA Cup for me is to watch these early rounds games with the little teams... it really is magic. Very disappointed it isn't on, and Kettering should be rightly annoyed about missing out on the cash.

[thenige]

I'm not so certain the BBC would have showed this, they're as bad as anyone for showing Man Utd games. If you go back the last few years the amount of times matches involving them in the FA Cup are shown must be astronomical. Certainly Man U v Villa is shown every season it's drawn (which is often) and there has been other dross as well.

 

Still an awful decision, which ITV are very much well known for.