over to you

Are you interested in one week's work placement in The Irish Times? Transition Year students can learn first-hand about the workings of this newspaper if their submission is published in Media Scope's weekly 'Over to You' column. Just send us a 200-word piece on a media-related topic - if it's published, the placement is yours.

Alex Delap, Wesley College, Dublin

There was a time when the average football fan on the average salary could go week in week out to see his or her team play. And strangely too there was a brief period where anyone in Ireland, but not in Britain, could enjoy slightly delayed TV coverage of a first division match on Saturday afternoon.

How times have changed. Since the commercialisation of football, the game has become one for the rich. The huge prices charged by pay-per-view just to allow the fans to watch a couple of Premiership matches a week is reflected by the equally high price now charged by Premiership football clubs to allow fans to sit in the stands.

Roy Keane was the first player to speak out, saying how he was sick of the real fans being kept off the stands by business executives eating prawn sandwiches. But surely if the supporters cannot get to the games then TV provides an almost adequate substitute? Not if you can't pay.

Ironically the only place where fans can enjoy live and consistent coverage of Premiership football is where it all started, the radio. Far from being overshadowed by its bigger brother, TV, BBC radio now provides excellent live commentary several days a week.

Media Scope is a weekly media studies page for use in schools. Write to Media Scope by posting your comments to Newspaper in the Classroom, The Irish Times, 11-16 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2, or faxing them to (01) 6792789. Be sure to include your name, address and school, plus phone numbers for home and school. Or e-mail us at mediapage@irish-times.ie.

Faxback: Worksheets and other materials are available to teachers who place group orders through their schools. For group orders, FREEPHONE 1-800-798884.

Media Scope is edited by Harry Browne.