The Championship clash is due to be televised live but the United chief has told staff they will be disciplined if they let Sky's production crew enter Elland Road Massimo Cellino has banned Sky Sports from covering Tuesday's game between Leeds and Derby. United’s controversial owner believes live TV coverage undermines his club’s attendances and commercial income. After weeks of complaints against their live TV appearances and disrupted fixture list, Cellino decided to impose a black-out. Before leaving for a Christmas break at his home in Miami, the Italian told Elland Road ground staff they must not allow Sky’s production crew into the stadium to set up for the Derby match. Mirror Sport understands Cellino warned that any staff who disobeyed his order would face disciplinary action for gross misconduct. The Sky crew turned up yesterday at Elland Road and were refused entry. Cellino is already seen as a maverick, but his Sky ban is hugely embarrassing for the Football League. It agreed a new four-season contract with Sky in February this year. It was described as the most lucrative in the League’s history and included coverage of the Football League, Capital One Cup and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. League officials were last night trying to defuse the row. The game will go ahead. The question remains whether Cellino will relent and allow TV cameras into the ground to avoid a breach of contract. A Football League spokesman said: “The League has been made aware that Sky personnel have been unable to access Elland Road today as previously arranged. “We have contacted Leeds United to remind the club of its obligations to our broadcast partner and to ask them for their observations. “As yet, we have not received a response from anyone in authority at the club, but are hopeful that the matter can be resolved swiftly once the club does engage.” Cellino complains that Leeds are shown live more than any other Championship club. Sky Sports dispute this. So far this season they have only shown three live matches from Elland Road. Leeds would normally receive a fee of £100,000 for having the game transmitted live on a Tuesday. The fee is increased to £120,000 for a Thursday night match and £110,000 for a Sunday game as compensation for loss of attendance revenues.
He has indeed, got a point. Leeds (who?) may become my favourite outsider team. The ****ing white ****e eh?. We should be lapping this up more than we are. They are so ****, they even beat us. "It's inevitable that they will become Chumps of Europe again..." They are taking their time and it's fantastic
There'll be penalty clauses somewhere in the TV contract. The Football League can't afford to allow Leeds to get away with this.
He's utterly bonkers and deranged and perfect for TWS, but I sort of like this stance. Yes of course he's not doing it for the right reasons, he's mental but this will really send a shiver up the back of the FL, Sky and the other broadcasters. Luckily football is all about the common man and not big business, so it'll be interesting to see how this plays out. Worst case, it just damages TWS.
Has he ****. He gets £100000 compensation for loss of attendance, as stated in the article. There is no way that their revenue drops that amount because they are on tv. It's just more attention seeking from the ****ing imbecile.
Any staff who disobey his order will face disciplinary action for gross misconduct. Bring it on! Action taken against his own employees for undertaking a task that his own company is contractually obliged to fulfil. I can see the Union Reps running through rain sodden Leeds side streets in an attempt to secure the work. Like taking dolci from a bambino. What a ****ing muppet.
The thing is, I bet they're all low earners and couldn't afford to take whatever temporary hit they might face until it all gets sorted out, specially right after Christmas. I hope they go through with it. His reasoning is bollocks but these kick off changes are generally a bag of **** for supporters. They move games to allow them to be televised, which will impact attendances further than just allowing them to show a game at 3pm on a Saturday. They should just let them televise normal Saturday games, or in fact make them show some of them as 3pm kick offs. TV would hate that as potential audience would be down but less games would get moved.
He's bagged more than £300k already, with more to come. The man's a contemptable & cowardly moron. Leaving orders with threats attached then running away on holiday to hide. I hope the FL fine him heavily & dock them a **** load of points. Relegate the classless ****ers back to where they belong. ****s.
According to somebody at ITV who's in the know, if he fails to let them in, the game will be postponed and re-arranged and Leeds will be deducted three points (plus a fine).
He's wrong about Leeds having the most televised games, Derby have had the same amount and Forest have had more. This is the rule they'd be in breach of... 73.2 The League or any subsidiary or associated company of The League or duly authorised agent or broadcaster (and its respective employees and agents) shall be allowed access to the grounds of all Clubs (and to the television gantries, camera positions and facilities) for the purpose of recording or broadcasting matches arranged under the jurisdiction of The League. As Chilton says, they'll back down, it will be televised and there'll be no sanction.
You don't think constantly moving games to Sunday, or mid-week, at late notice isn't detrimental to the fans trying to organise to go see their side play?
You can't have your cake and eat it, we've recently spent £50m on our squad and Sky paid for all of them. I also think it's overstated, televising games does impact on the travelling support, particularly for games where the teams are a long way apart, or at clubs that charge a lot, but I don't think it has a massive impact on the home support. If you look at Leeds attendances for televised games and none televised games, I suspect the attendances are not massively different and when you take into account what they get paid for the televised games, they need a 3,500 drop in the attendance before they start to lose out.
There's a difference between the normal regular amount of games everyone plays, which is fair enough, it's the focus on Leeds due to their popularity that Sky knows their supporters will turn up regardless of when the kick off is. It's a bit petty, but it's good to see someone standing up to the networks. He's doing it for the wrong reasons but his point is no less valid.
