15 Jul 2008MSP says terrestrial coverage should include Scotland games

Football Sponsors/ Sponsorship and Media | Football Supporters News

Stuart McMillan, a Scottish MP, has claimed that football fans are getting second rate coverage from the BBC.

Writing in the Scotsman, he claimed that national team games should be shown on terrestrial TV, as was recommended by the BBC Audience Council for Scotland.

While he appreciated that the Scottish Football Association (SFA) sold to the highest bidder and then put the money back into the grass roots of the game, he said fans should be able to watch the live game on the BBC.

Mr McMillan started a petition which was concluded in 2007 and called for Scotland's national fixtures to be shown on terrestrial channels.

He said he was motivated by the Lithuania v Scotland Euro 2008 qualifying fixture where neither live coverage nor highlights were shown.

"This I found unacceptable and tantamount to Scots receiving a second class service," he said.

The news that the BBC Audience Council has backed the calls will be welcomed by Scottish football fans and Mr McMillan.

It will mean that Scotland's World Cup and European Championship qualifying games will receive coverage in a similar way to the Olympics, Wimbledon and the Grand National.

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