Football supporters' chiefs today warned that armchair fans are getting too much of a good thing. Latest figures have revealed that ITV'srescheduled Premiership highlights programme attracted just 2.8million viewers on Saturday night.
But with television screens currently flooded with live coverage as well as the troubled highlights show, Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters' Association, is warning the broadcasters that they are in grave danger of sickening the very people they are targeting.
"Our general view would be that there has been such an overload of televised soccer now with such a wide variety of channels that people are getting more than they need and increasingly confused about where and when they can watch games," he said.
ITVremain confident that their highlights programme will attract higher viewer figures once it becomes established in its new 10.30 p.m. slot, although critics have voiced concern about the frequent advertising breaks.
Clarke also warned that, if viewing figures across the board continue to fall as they have recently, that could have severe consequences when the contracts are renegotiated.
"The people running football thought that the gravy train would never end and they could do what they liked and let the television companies dictate to them.
"They have ploughed millions into the clubs and the clubs have sent it straight into the players' wages rather than investing it in the future.
PA