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MEDIA RELEASE
The Scottish Football League and BBC ALBA today announced a package of three live televised First Division games over the next few months.

The televised games will take place on Sundays with kick-off times at 3.15 p.m. An announcement regarding the end of season Play-Off matches will be made in due course.

The agreement represents another step forward for the Scottish Football League, securing live broadcast of First Division matches, and reflects BBC ALBA’s commitment to televise a range of sports.

BBC ALBA is a partnership between the BBC and MG ALBA, the Gaelic Media Service.

David Longmuir, chief executive of the SFL, said: “MG ALBA has been an excellent broadcast partner since it became sponsor of The Challenge Cup last year.

“I am delighted that the new TV channel recognises the excitement, passion and community values that the Scottish Football League can offer, and I look forward to developing this relationship in the months ahead.”

Alan Esslemont, head of content for BBC ALBA, said: “We are very pleased to be able to offer excellent live SFL fixtures to viewers. These games will enhance our comprehensive sports package which already includes the ‘as-live’ televising of SPL matches on Saturday nights.”




The First Division games selected for Sunday live coverage are as follows:


Sunday, 22nd February
Airdrie United v. Clyde

Sunday, 22nd March
Partick Thistle v. Dundee

Sunday, 19th April
St. Johnstone v. Queen of the South



BBC ALBA will be available on Sky channel 168 and on Freesat channel 110.

Source



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:02:03:11:16:32 by Allstars .

Good stuff, hopefully there will eventually be a highlights type show as well.

Sounds like very good news to me - the club should benefit financially - not sure about the figure though.

Look out for the wee guy selling the Gaelic Phrasebooks at the next game!

You say we will benefit financially. I'm not so sure. How many punters will this knock off the attendance that day?

PISH

Rather than have a Sunday afternoon game I'd rather we played on a Friday night.

As I say - we dont know the sums involved. However you can be sure that JB will be aware of the "risk" of losing a few of our hard core support as a result.

I certainly would not desert the club in favour of cosy Gaelic lessons!

Personally I think it is insane. We need people in the ground not in front of their TVs. Who is going to be interested in this match.

Its a step towards weekly highlights coverage in my opinion.

And as for reducing crowds? Cant see usual attenders ditching the game to watch the TV. It could encourage the current exile fans to watch, hopefully see some decent footy (BIG HOPES!!!!!) and decide to coe back the following week.

Dont think its that bad to be honest though there first game might put folk off football for life.

Friday night games won't happen becasue of pressure from the police unfortunatley.

I have to agree Friday nights would be the way to go, but if it's extra money in the coffers who are we to argue.

There goes the club s Ladies day thugh, which was planned for the Sat.

Quote:

Allstars
Sunday, 22nd February
Airdrie United v. Clyde

Fek!!!

My daughter is getting christened that day!

Myself, scottydog<>geezer, perry and wiseman will be missing from Broomfield on 22nd (Ted Stryker will be saying that those 3 have been missing most the season anyway)........hold on (silver lining appears) I wonder if we can get the function suite to put the game on!!??!!

its a bit late in the day to be re-organising a game for the 22nd Feb, without even an official announcement yet!

900 at the game listening to Robbo shouting 'HOLD' - 250 watching at home listening to some gibberish commentary - quality!!

If this is going to be on a more permanent basis ie next season and beyond then its even more important to avoid relegation I wonder if there will be anymore investment in the squad to ensure this.

I see it mentions the playoffs to be announced I would take being involved in those games right now especially after Saturday's performance

If it had been at Airdrie then I would have gone but no way am I giving Clyde my hard earned cash when I can watch the match at home in warmth.

It is at Airdrie.




Airdrieonians T-Shirt Store

Quote:

Fetish
Fek!!!
My daughter is getting christened that day!

much to be said for being a heathen

Quote:

Allstars

I'll end up there anyway!

Trying to persuade the function suite folk to select Airdrie v Clyde over Fulham v West Brom, 13:30
Liverpool v Man City, 15:00
Newcastle v Everton, 16:00

It could be a difficult task.

Don't think it'll make too much of a difference to the attendence. Hopefully fans of some of the other first division teams watch it.

For people who might complain about the commentary being in Gaelic: the only way this kind of game will ever be shown in English is if a demand exists for it, here's your chance to show there is one (though personally I don't think it makes much of a difference, the English commentary isn't great in most cases anyway. I remember watching Scotland beat France with the commentary in Arabic, and it didn't affect my enjoyment of the game).

Mar sin leat, cariedean.

It shows what a @#$%& up of a country we live in.

Terrestrial english speaking tv shows the Shinty Cup Final and the gaelic speaking satellite channel showes the football.

Someone needs to draw their thumb from their anus and think.

Otherwisae it's good news.

Quote:

Glenmavis Diamond
Its a step towards weekly highlights coverage in my opinion.

@#$%& i would look forward to that every week

It would be a very short programme!

I still don't get it, a minority language station, broadcasting football to a tiny audience, i don't see how they can pay the clubs at all, no ad revenue, i mean what is the top audience they could wish for, for Airdrie v Clyde 2000 viewers, on a channel not everyone can receive.

This is how they can afford it:
BBC pumps 60 quid a head into Gaelic TV

Some folk in this country are so dead set on promoting scottishness that they will destroy anything vaguely scottish of value.

As I said before why not put a free downloadable series of mp3's that folk can use to teach themselves gaelic should they really wish.

The problem with that is that it does not give long term jobs for an elite few @#$%& promoting this nonsense.

It's about job creation for friends of the SNP....rank rotten.

Until we shut Holyrood @#$%& like this will keep happening.

People are saying "who would watch this"...I dunno, I think I would be very up for watching the Thistle v Dundee and Saints v QOTS games.

I don't think it will have a detramental affect on the crowd.



SOMETHING ILLUSTRATED
www.facebook.com/somethingillustrated

I'm with you Snedved, I would and have watched any game put on TV, from John barnes Football Night on 5 (remember that Cack, to Asian Football on Sky Sports, on reflection . . .thats pretty sad!

I don't think that this is just the preserve of pro-Nationalists. There are countless examples of institutions trying to preserve (prop-up) minority causes. Take the ballet, opera, or any other of the "high arts". These have millions of taxpayers' pounds lavished on them for the enjoyment of the few. And don't get me started on the Tischen...

Saves me £15 I suppose.

i cant make game either now. aaaarrrrgggghhhh

Anyone think that the coverage of the Alba Challenge Cup must have been a success for them for them to make this kind of effort or was it always on the cards.

Quote:

Chris Mac
Anyone think that the coverage of the Alba Challenge Cup must have been a success for them for them to make this kind of effort or was it always on the cards.

it was always on the case....poor tv stationturns to football top make it popular.

Alba TV is haemorraging viewers faster than Usain Bolt.

Quote:

smithers-jones
Saves me £15 I suppose.

West End it will be then!!!

Saw in the paper this morning that SPL attendances are slightly up despite a 50% increase in people watching on Setanta.

why could bbc scotland not cover these games? and do a proper job of it instead of some dafty ethnic channel? its OUR money there spending

and the F....rs sound like germans

Arkan - you mean compared to English and Scots (you know, the Germanic langauges in this country)?

I'll certainly be watching it down here in Milton Keynes, on my birthday. And I wouldn't mind learning a bit of Gaelic; I think they're missing a trick. They could run a quick lesson in the few minutes before the game starts, explaining some simple vocabulary and grammatical constructions, and then again at half-time. If they filmed some of the players trying to learn some, it might encourage other people to have a go.

Quote:

arkans ghost
why could bbc scotland not cover these games? and do a proper job of it instead of some dafty ethnic channel? its OUR money there spending

It will clash with the River city omnibus. Can't be doing that now.

must be showing the Airdrie match cause we are well known for our mod support,gertcha will try to catch a pint wth you on sat if match is on

SOUNDS LIKE AN IDEAL DAY FOR SITTING IN CUE HERE WATCHUNG THE BIG SCREEN.