News: Sky Television is unlikely to share live coverage of the crucial European Championship qualifier between England and Turkey with the BBC or ITV, despite British government calls for the game to be shown on terrestrial television to discourage fans from travelling to Istanbul.
While Sky insiders say it is reluctant to share live coverage with the BBC or ITV, having paid £3 million for the exclusive rights, there remains "a good chance" a deal can be reached that would allow one of the broadcasters to show highlights or repeat the game in full after the final whistle on October 11th.
The satellite broadcaster set a precedent for such a compromise in 1997 when it allowed ITV to show the decisive World Cup qualifier against Italy in Rome in full after the game had finished.
The sports minister Richard Caborn has confirmed he will be making representations to Sky in an effort to persuade it to share the coverage, following a House of Commons motion set down by the former sports minister Tony Banks.
But Sky is likely to argue that the rights were offered in an open auction, as they are by the relevant authority for all of England's away games on a match-by-match basis, and there was nothing to stop the BBC or ITV bidding.
Banks said yesterday that such an attitude was short-sighted, as it could lead to more fans travelling and the eventual expulsion of England from the 2004 European Championship and the 2006 World Cup.
"This is necessary in order to remove the last vestiges of an excuse for going to the game," said Banks. "It reinforces the argument that there is no point in travelling. While I understand that not everyone wanting to travel will cause trouble, you've got to be slightly off balance to go there and show a cavalier approach towards the implications."
He suggested a panel made up of football authorities and MPs could rule on when it would be in the public interest to show internationals live on terrestrial television and ensure that broadcasters were recompensed.
Both terrestrial broadcasters thought the game was too expensive.
"Sky won the rights fair and square. It is a matter for them," said a BBC spokesman.
No tickets will be sold to England supporters for the match but there are fears that hundreds of fans will travel to Istanbul. UEFA fined the Football Association £68,000 after the home tie with Turkey in April at the Stadium of Light and warned England could face expulsion from the tournament if the scenes were repeated. Racial taunts were aimed at Turkish players and fans and the pitch was invaded following both goals in England's 2-0 win.
Guardian Service
