THE fight by pubs for the right to show Premiership football matches live on TV by using satellite broadcasts from other countries is entering a new phase.

Portsmouth publican Karen Murphy, who had been convicted of a breach of copyright and banned from showing live games, is appealing to the High Court against the verdict.

Murphy's conviction was upheld last month in a judgement that flew in the face of a ruling in a separate case by judge Robert Warnock at Bolton Crown Court last year.

Judge Warnock backed a licensee who had been convicted of breaching copyright by showing TV games during soccer chiefs' "closed period" - between 2.45pm and 5.15pm on Saturday afternoons.

He upheld the landlord's appeal against conviction, saying the licensee could not be guilty because the satellite pictures were broadcast via a Greek company and the closed period only applied to transmissions originating in Britain.

However, the judge in the Portsmouth case said he "strongly disagreed" with judge Warnock's decision and upheld Murphy's conviction.

She has installed a European Satellite System in her premises, the Red, White and Blue pub in Southsea, Portsmouth.

She believed the system was legal because of the Bolton Crown Court decision.

Now she hopes her High Court appeal will clarify the situation and give her the right to show matches live again.

A spokesman for the Association of European Satellite System Installers (AESSI) said: "We are pleased with the outcome in the Portsmouth case as the matter will now go to a higher court.

"This will enable a definite legal precedent to be set and completely clarify the position regarding the legitimacy of foreign satellite systems in the UK."

Bolton Wanderers have previously said that pub broadcasts on Saturday afternoons were hitting attendances at the Reebok.