SNP ahead of the game on TV football

Commenting on the Glenrothes Labour candidate's call for Scotland international games at Hampden to be shown on free to-air-TV Ochil SNP MSP Keith Brown said Mr Roy was a bit late on the pitch as he and fellow SNP MSP Stuart McMillan had already made representations to the UK Government after several months of raising the issue.

SNP MSP for Ochil Keith Brown who led a Scottish Parliament debate calling for a review of sports crown jewels to include Scotland games said:

"This call is a bit late in the day since earlier this year I called on the UK Government to look at the list of TV Crown Jewels and to consider putting some or all of Scotland's qualifying matches on free to air television. The proposed review is a welcome start but there is more to do.

"The evidence shows even people who would not watch the games agree they should be shown on ordinary television. The UK Government must act on that evidence."

Fellow SNP MSP Stuart McMillan,  said the call the Labour candidate should be making is to Gordon Brown asking him to explain why he is threatening the status of the Scotland national team by pushing for a GB football team at the olympics.

Mr McMillan said:

"Today in Glenrothes SNP activists will be reminding voters how Gordon Brown's obsession with a GB football team at the olympics threaten the independence of the Scotland national team.

"A single GB olympic team is opposed by all four of the national supporters organisations and the SFA and the Welsh and Northern Irish FAs say they want no part in the team.

"If the Labour candidate wants to stand up for Scottish football the call he should be making is to Gordon Brown telling him to drop these plans."

Notes:

1. The text of the SNP leaflet for Glenrothes is as follows:

"Supporting Scotland - always

SNP on your side

Gordon Brown's plan for a British football team at the Olympics is "the quickest way for Scotland to disappear off the international stage" according to UEFA General Secretary David Taylor. Norway, Macedonia, Iceland and Holland might pose a threat to our hopes of reaching the 2010 finals, but Gordon Brown's plan could knock us out of the World Cup for ever. We can save Scotland from this Gordon Brown own goal. Let's make November 6 a date to remember.

The SNP - on Scotland's side."

2. Keith Brown and Stuart McMillan have raised the issue of Scotland's international football qualifying matches being shown on free to air television in the Scottish Parliament and with the UK Government after Scotland's international qualifying matches were sold to pay to view television companies.

The two MSPs have written to the UK Culture Secretary to ensure the status of Scotland games are considered in a review he recently announced.

3. In May the Public Attitudes to Broadcasting Survey showed that;

96% of respondents said that Scotland internationals should be on terrestrial/free to view channels rather than pay TV.

70% of people uninterested in watching live football coverage also want them shown on free to view channels.

4. Scottish Parliament Motion debate on 8 January 2009

S3M-00858# Keith Brown (Ochil) (Scottish National Party): Government Powers to Ensure Terrestrial Broadcast of Sport— That the Parliament expresses displeasure about the ongoing lack of access for viewers in Ochil and across Scotland to the fixtures of the Scotland men's football team on terrestrial television, in particular the Scotland v Italy fixture scheduled for 17 November 2007; criticises the BBC for again scheduling in all parts of the United Kingdom the live England match on 21 November instead; notes that within the framework of the EU broadcasting directive (89/552/EC) the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport designates sporting events into three categories, corresponding to those which must be broadcast on terrestrial television (A), those for which highlights must be broadcast on terrestrial television (B) and the remainder for which no such requirements exist; further notes that the FIFA World Cup finals and UEFA European Championship finals come under category A while the qualifying matches for these tournaments do not even come under category B; observes that other countries such as Germany require that all national men's football team matches be made available under corresponding regulations; believes that all competitive participation in international men's football by Scotland should be made available to terrestrial broadcasters under these regulations, and considers that powers over broadcasting should be transferred to the Scottish Parliament so that the Scottish Government can take such action.