When Saturday comes - down at the pub

10:09am Thursday 8th May 2008

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I CAN'T understand people complaining that Saturday is no longer a special day for English football.

They say that kick-off times being spread throughout the weekend has ruined the traditional matchday.

They couldn't be more wrong.

There's still nothing like going to watch a game live at 3pm on a Saturday.

It's got all the excitement, nerves and passion that it has always had and been enhanced by a new comfort, convenience and great atmosphere.

The trouble is there are so many people enjoying this new football culture that you can hardly get a seat in front of the big screen anymore.

You see, you don't have to go to a match to enjoy live football on a Saturday.

There's a new tradition in town. It involves nipping down to the pub and letting your local landlord bring it to you in the comfort of your bar stool.

Pubs everywhere have got in on the act of showing televised games that aren't on Sky or Setanta.

All they need is a box and a smart card which enables them to show feeds free from foreign channels.

The landlords avoid Sky's expensive subscription rates, and the fans gets to watch a game they wouldn't have otherwise been able to see without all the hassle and cost of actually going to the ground.

The facts that pubs are using this loophole, and that the Premier League has lost court cases when it has tried to close it, suggests the whole thing's not as hooky as you would imagine.

And it has bred a whole new football culture which appeals to those fans who can't get to games, don't want to or can't afford it.

And you can't blame them. No sky-high ticket prices, traffic jams and sitting out in the cold.

Instead, just a couple of hours in the warmth of your local, a pint while you're watching the game, and a game of pool at half time if you want.

You can't help but feel that sooner or later, all the free fun's going to stop.

But, until that time, all football fans can once again live for when Saturday comes.