'Don't Hit The Saints' Hampshire MEP Tells Commissioner Monti

9.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 5th Jun 2003

Hampshire MEP Chris Huhne warned Commissioner Mario Monti not to undermine the premiership's ability to sell TV rights or it would hit hardest the smaller clubs like Southampton FC.

In a meeting this week during the Strasbourg plenary session of the European Parliament, Mr Huhne discussed with Mr Monti the question of sale of premiership TV rights, under investigation by the Commission.

'The Commission is worried that the sale of TV rights as a series of packages by the premiership clubs as a whole undermines competition. But if clubs negotiated individually, the only gainers would be the biggest clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal.

'Smaller clubs would lose their share of collective TV revenue and would be unable to maintain the quality of their squads. This would undermine the whole premiership and the pleasure of fans because the big clubs would get stronger and the small clubs weaker.

'The first things to be cut would be support for young players and schemes to help community involvement by the clubs. That is not in anyone's interest.

'Mr Monti promised me that he would personally look at the issue, and was now aware of the sensitivity of changes' said Mr Huhne. Mr Huhne took up the issue after he was briefed by Saints chairman Rupert Lowe and by senior officials at the premiership.

Mr Huhne said it was crucial to get the question settled quickly or the premiership would not be able to negotiate tv rights for next season. 'We only have a month. The clock is ticking' said Mr Huhne.

'I am hopeful that there will be a reasonable agreement now between the Commission and the Premiership in the next couple of weeks providing that flexibility is shown on both sides' said Mr Huhne.

'Some Commission officials appeared to think that the existing deals stop people seeing matches on television, but I told Mr Monti that the idea that there is a great unexploited demand for more tv football has been tested and is not true. After all, ITV first tried running highlights in prime time when it won the package from the BBC but it did not work.'

Notes to editors: Chris Huhne MEP is deputy leader of the UK Lib Dems in the European Parliament and economic spokesman of the European Liberal Democrats. Commissioner Monti reports to the Economic and Monetary Affairs committee of the European Parliament, on which Mr Huhne sits.

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