Premiership club Bolton Wanderers has applied for licence reviews of five pubs around the Reebok Stadium that show foreign satellite football.
This is the first time a Premiership club has targeted pubs for showing live Premiership matches.
The club believes the pubs, two of which are Punch Taverns, are affecting its attendances and is calling for the reviews on the grounds they are committing a crime by showing these games.
It sent the review applications on Tuesday following a series of covert operations in the pubs while matches were being shown.
It definitely affects our attendances. We've done research with fans locally and we are sure it is affecting a lot of other licensees in the area who are acting legitimately Bolton Wanderers' chief executive Allan Duckworth.
The five pubs are:*The Black Horse, Higher Market Street*Willows Hotel, Willows Lane*Volunteer, Radcliffe Road*New Cabin, Lever Street*Morris Dancers, Sapling Road
Speaking exclusively to the MA, Bolton Wanderers' chief executive Allan Duckworth said: "We've noticed pubs showing these games for a while but for the last 12 to 18 months it has become quite a significant problem.
"It definitely affects our attendances. We've done research with fans locally and we are sure it is affecting a lot of other licensees in the area who are acting legitimately.
"We've spoken to the licensing authority and the local police and we believe a licence review is the most appropriate way to deal with this issue.
"It's a growing problem - unless we take some pretty strong action, it is only going to get worse.
"We have been monitoring these premises and we know they have been illegally broadcasting Saturday afternoon matches for some time."
MA legal expert Peter Coulson said the club's applications were valid because they are "businesses in the vicinity of the premises"
According to the Licensing Act a review can be sought on the grounds of prevention of crime.
Coulson added: "Clubs can seek a review if they can show that a criminal offence - in this case copyright theft - is taking place within the vicinity of their ground, because one of the four licensing objectives of the Licensing Act is the prevention of crime."