Blogs

TV Terror - How Sky Ruined a League Two Fan's Day

Sky TV has grown into a seemingly omnipotent presence - whether it be covering more and more Premier League and EFL games per year or providing on-screen stat panels that can either take the mickey or be actually informative, they have increasingly become an all-seeing, all-knowing entity.

This is all well and good for TV coverage - those sat on their sofas at home don’t consider for one moment the extensive measures the company need to take in order to broadcast, analyse, coordinate and research a game to provide seamless coverage for us.

However, one Cheltenham Town supporter got up close and personal to just how far Sky are willing to go in order to create the best football channel around.

Seats Taken Mate, Sorry

This fan, who remains unnamed, probably followed his usual pre-match routine - catch the train, mill around outside with fellow fans, pre-match pie and chips, and then head inside to watch his side take on third-placed Notts County, a tough watch at the best of times.

But upon reaching his usual seat, for which the fan paid a substantial sum in order to reserve for the season, he found it occupied not by a person, but instead by a TV camera.

As it turned out, the Monday night game was being shown on Sky Sports Plus as a way of increasing their League Two viewership during the international break, which sees the top flight put on golf for two weeks.

As a result, Premier League fans need to find their football fix elsewhere, and an EFL game is as good an alternative as any, with the added bonus of being able to familiarise themselves with a division they may not have previously followed.

This is all well and good for the TV audience, but Sky didn’t exactly consider the needs of those who actually show up the games.

The TV tower and subsequent film crew not only took up one seat - the tower actually occupied an area three seats wide and two rows back, while also blocking the view of anyone sitting in the very back row just behind the tower, taking up nine seats and perhaps more in all.

In fairness to Sky, the stadium was not exactly jam-packed; there were plenty of other seats available, and the displaced supporter more than likely made his way to a spot with an even better view, perhaps closer to the pitch in order to feel part of the action.

However, the lack of principle is what has bothered many on social media - either put the cameras in a spot where it will bother no paying, match-going fans, or contact them ahead of time to ask and confirm whether it is acceptable to occupy their seat.

It was an all-round gloomy day for this fan and his club: not only was he forced to look elsewhere for a seat, but Cheltenham also lost 2-1, with two first-half Notts County strikes enough to take a vital three points despite an Isaac Hutchinson strike halving the deficit with 25 minutes to play.

As previously mentioned, the result saw Notts County shoot up to third and into the automatic promotion spots. Conversely, the defeat left Cheltenham just a point above the relegation spots. With just four wins and two draws from 15 games, Steve Cotterill's side need to rethink their strategy fast.

Sky Sports caught all the action in ultra HD - it’s just a shame they didn’t consider the needs of the fans who pay to show up beforehand!