Licensees join fight to tackle pirate TV footy
by Tony Halstead
Licensees are helping soccer bosses win their battle against pirate TV screenings of Premier-ship football.
More than 50 calls are being received on a special telephone hotline each week from hosts reporting rogue pub screenings.
Publicans are queuing up to expose rival pubs that show illegal Saturday afternoon matches transmitted via foreign television stations.
The reports have helped to mount an average of four prosecutions each week against licensees caught showing the illicit broadcasts.
The Federation Against Copy-right Theft (Fact), which prosecutes on behalf of the Premier League, says surveillance is now being stepped up in the three "hotspot" areas of the north west, north east and London.
The Premier League has promised a blitz against pubs, which it believes are blatantly flouting the law. It warns that licensees face a maximum £5,000 fine if they are convicted of showing games during the 2.45pm to 5.15pm "closed" period.
Fact litigation officer Ray Hoskin says 60% of licensees found to be screening matches stopped after receiving warnings.
But he said a hard core continued to show matches, even after receiving cautions from Fact investigating officers.
"Licensees who run their businesses within the law deserve to be protected from those pubs which continue to show these games illegally," Hoskin said.
The Premier League stressed it was illegal to screen matches beamed via foreign television stations despite advice from equipment suppliers that showing the matches was in order.
Fact has not lost a single court case throughout the current season and has criticised the "legal" advice given by companies to licensees.
Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson said it was illegal to use "grey" or copied viewing cards to receive Sky feeds or show non-Sky footage on Saturday afternoons.
"There are no exceptions, no loopholes in European law and no signs you can put up in your premises to exempt you.
"Any fee a licensee may pay does not make it legal and even if they declare a lock-in' or private party, an offence is still being committed," he said.
The confidential hotline number is: 01462-678831.
l Sutton licensee Carey Preece has become the latest to be prosecuted for screening a Saturday match when she was fined £800 with £1,000 costs by Wallington magistrates after admitting the offence.
