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Wednesday, 10 February 2010

Australia News Legal Threat Claim Over Olyroos Outrage

EXCLUSIVE: Beijing broadcaster Channel 7 has threatened legal action against Socceroo supporter group The Green And Gold Army as fans fume over the network's proposed Olyroo coverage at the Olympics.

To see how John Aloisi's penalty might have looked on Seven...

Following yesterday's story outlining Channel 7's proposed broadcasting schedule, many Aussie football fans have expressed their anger on numerous forums and blogs.

The public storm led Socceroo supporter group The Green And Gold Army to issue a press release today claiming Seven had "turned the screws on the Olyroos".

According to sources close to the fan group, a Seven employee contacted them within five minutes of the release being sent out to claim inaccuracies in it and threaten legal action against them.

The GG Army release said, in part: "We anticipate it to be the country's biggest competition game since the World Cup in Germany and Seven have said that they're cutting away in the last 15 minutes to cover another event - it's just a kick in the guts for fans."

John McGauren, from the Green And Gold Army added: "There was a cheeky campaign running about a decade ago where Seven was refusing to cover the world game, despite having rights to do so.

"A bumper sticker campaign carried the message 'Nobody screws soccer like Seven', I reckon a few of the old relics might pop out of the archives over the next fortnight."

He added: "The Socceroos and the A-League have shown that there is a significant television market for the game in this country.

"Ratings for the new national league have been beyond the wildest dreams of Fox Sports, which makes this affront from Seven particularly puzzling."

The Green and Gold Army claim in the release to have a membership of more 11,000 in more than 60 countries. It says it will be working with the wider football community to "affect a change in policy by the official Olympic network".

Elsewhere, fans across the country are mobilising across the internet with Facebook groups being set up and emails sent by A-League supporter groups to Seven and the FFA.

One group of fans are planning a Sydney protest outside the Martin Place studio of Seven's Sunrise show on Friday morning in a bid to get their point across.

Some fans argue that Seven should use its High Definition channel to show Olyroo games live and uninterrupted rather than just partial coverage on its regular channel.

Channel 7 has enjoyed a fractious relationship with many Aussie football fans.

This stems back to the network's coverage of the NSL - a coverage that was widely panned by football fans as being half-hearted.

That contempt for the sport appeared to have been revealed during a court case at the turn of the century.

Seven took action against Foxtel partners over claims they conspired to drive its pay-TV sports channel C7 out of business by ensuring it did not win bids for the NRL or AFL rights in December 2000.

During the court case C7 executive Steven Wise revealed in one email that the AFL was not giving Seven credit for virtually killing off football by buying the rights to NSL - and then keeping it off TV.

His email said: "We have secured the soccer rights and suffocated the sport, much to the chagrin of its supporters (by giving AFL games preference)".

To see how John Aloisi's penalty might have looked on Seven...

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