Premier chairmen say no to Sky

Pay-per-view television is expected to go ahead by 2001 despite Premiership chairmen rejecting Sky's revolutionary proposals yesterday.

Sky's multi-million pound deal with the Premier League expires in 2001 and this is expected to be the time when pay-per-view will be up-and-running either in conjunction with Sky or with the clubs going it alone.

Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards had confidently predicted the move would be given the thumbs-up after apparently conducting his own straw poll.

But following a two-day meeting in Leicester, the Premiership chairmen have surprisingly decided not to go-ahead with the plans, with Sky Sports boss Vic Wakeling hiding his disappointment at the news.

Under Sky's plan five Premiership fixtures would have remained on Saturdays with four moving to Sundays and one, as usual, played on Monday nights. Of the four games on Sundays, three would be screened on a pay-per-view basis.

It had also been suggested that from the season after next the complete Premiership programme would have been moved to Sundays.

Wakeling, head of sport, said: "The proposals were never going to be agreed today - there are still too many details to be discussed and Sky shares the Premier League's wishes to get it right for all football fans.

"We would stress that whatever the outcome of these on-going discussions, there will be no change whatsoever in the Premier League coverage offered on Sky Sports."

"We guarantee that our subscribers will continue to see the same range, the same quality and the same number of live matches throughout the next three years with 60 live matches each year on Sky Sports.

"These will include the major fixtures, such as next season's games between Arsenal and Manchester United.

"Pay-per-view and the new digital technology will however give Sky the opportunity to offer an ever-wider range of games with a choice from the 320 matches which have never been shown live in the past.

"This must eventually be great news for football fans and particularly those who simply cannot get tickets."

Premier League chief executive Peter Leaver has headed a committee in negotiations with Sky and is believed to have been instrumental in the vote going against Rupert Murdoch's company.

A report from the committee, containing reservations about the proposals, was distributed among the Premiership clubs and it is this which appears to have swayed the chairmen.

Leaver said: "Premier League clubs have today decided not to proceed with proposals that have been put forward in relation to pay-per-view television."