AS slogans go, it’s a neat one. And a vote winner too, I’m sure. Scotland games should be free to air for all the nation to see. In a perfect world, of course they should. But as was underlined when Margot Robbie failed to deliver me my breakfast in bed this morning, this is not a perfect world.
The news last week that Viaplay - the Nordic broadcaster who hold the rights to screen Scotland matches as well as our major domestic cups - were pulling out of UK sport sparked the usual flurry of well-meaning but ultimately fantastical calls for the Scottish FA to forego their ‘greed’ and allow the BBC to show every match involving the national team on cooncil telly.
Except, the Scottish FA can no more make this a reality than they can persuade our Margot to give up the glitz and glamour of her Hollywood lifestyle for a quieter existence with a middle-aged sportswriter in Motherwell. It simply isn’t in their gift.
Is it fair that England and Wales supporters can watch their teams free of charge while Scots cannot? Of course not. But the only reason they can is that broadcasters like Channel 4 cared enough about those rights to pony up the requisite dough.
Some of the MPs and MSPs throwing around these statements should know better. And many of them undoubtedly do. But why let the facts get in the way of a snazzy soundbite?
For those who don’t know it already, the broadcasting rights for Scotland matches are sold centrally by UEFA to the highest bidder. So, by all means turn your ire on them. Or better yet, why not ask some questions of our native broadcasters and our government?
In fairness, chairman of The Scottish Affairs Committee, the MSP Pete Wishart, had a point when he said: "Scotland fans deserve to watch the national football team and I don't think it is beyond the wit of everybody to get round the table and design a way to do this.”
The committee want the UK government to add Scotland matches to the list of ‘crown jewel’ events such as Wimbledon, the FA Cup Final and the Scottish Cup Final that are only available to public broadcasters.
Even if that were logistically possible, the Scottish FA would then be left to take a substantial financial hit, with the centralisation of rights from UEFA worth north of £10m to the governing body. I know, I can almost hear the tiny violins playing from here, but it isn’t the oft-derided ‘blazers’ who would suffer from that loss of revenue, but areas like grassroots football, facilities and player development.
What may be a more feasible step in the right direction is for broadcasters such as BBC Scotland and STV to get round the table with the government and figure out a way to collaborate and make this happen.
If STV or BBC Scotland don’t have the money themselves, then why not work together to split the rights? So, if there are five home matches over the next year, for example, the Beeb could show three and STV two, or vice-versa.
And if those in government – on both sides of the border - are serious about this rather than just trying to earn a bump in the polls by latching onto popular sentiment, then they have to back up their posturing and petitions and actually help the broadcasters bridge the financial gap by finding a way of subsidising them.
Viaplay responded to questions about their future plans to broadcast the Scotland games through to the end of the existing deal in 2028 with a ‘business as usual’ line, but there looks to be a real opportunity here to make these matches free to air if there is a willingness by these parties to work together.
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said that he understands ‘Viaplay intend to sell off or sublicence their UK sports rights packages’, so now would be the time to come together and do something that would undoubtedly be in the national interest.
Steve Clarke is doing a tremendous job with the Scotland team. The squad is full of players who are not only extremely talented footballers, but outstanding young men who would make wonderful role models for Scottish kids. The more of them who can see them, and dream of one day following in their footsteps, the better.
But that won’t be achieved simply by the bumping of gums or taking swipes at perennial bogeyman, the Scottish FA, who ironically enough have sweet FA to do with this situation.
The Tartan Army have a dream that all Scotland matches should be free to air, but that will only become a reality if our broadcasters and government put their money where their mouths frequently are.
