Cheltenham Town: Champions League is a Real TV nasty
CHELTENHAM Town goalkeeper Scott Brown has lambasted the fixture schedule that saw last night's match with Oxford United clash with televised Champions League football.
While the Robins beat their local rivals 2-1 in one of the most eagerly anticipated fixtures of the season at the Abbey Business Stadium, Manchester City's Champions League opener at Real Madrid was screened live on terrestrial television.
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Scott Brown
Cheltenham's average League Two attendance last term showed a 14.9 per cent rise on the 2010/11 season after a successful campaign that saw Mark Yates' team challenging for automatic promotion before eventually missing out on a place in League One in the play-off final at Wembley, where they were beaten 2-0 by Crewe Alexandra.
With many clubs suffering from dwindling crowds, Brown said he was disappointed to see such an important match coincide with a Champions League programme and hopes steps can be taken to avoid a similar clash in future.
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"We know our loyal fans will turn out for all of our games and we are very grateful for their support, but I don't know why they have to put our games on the same night as Champions League nights," Brown said.
"It's asking for people not to come and just stay in and watch Real Madrid against Man City and I think it needs to be looked at."
Comments
by CheltRobin
Thursday, September 20 2012, 9:16AM
“Well said Scotty - but I very much doubt that anyone at FIFA, UEFA, FA or Premier League will be reading your (and others) sensible views on this. Why Not? Well, nowadays it's all out the "Money, Money, Money" and basically ignoring the issues of the "other" 72 league clubs.
Maybe in another 20 years or so when the Premier League has morphed into somekind of European Super League (as it surely will do), the football league can be re-formed into 3 leagues without having to rely on parachute payments or funding from the Premier League. Then those clubs can set their own regulations regarding fixtures, transfer window policies etc etc.
That's my ideal situation on the future of English football - probably will only remain a dream - but we all can dream - sometimes they come true!!”