I decided to write this April issue AFTER our LDV Trophy game on 2006-04-02, which we lost 2-1.
Now that the distraction of the LDV Trophy is once more behind us, we can concentrate on the league. We're in a strong position and it would be nice to go up as champions, but we all know of Carlisle's habit of making the run in more exciting than it need be by losing games. Time for a rendition of "One Fox".
If we do go up, the club ownership and management will need to ensure that there is necessary strengthening of the squad in the close season to keep us in Tier 3 (League 1) next season. We all bitterly remember the lack of squad enhancement following promotions in the Knighton era.
The BBC have announced that Grandstand is to end in 2009. Now, many initially saw this as a bad thing, but let us step back for a moment and look at this from a different angle. Digital TV has brought with it multiple channels for both BBC and ITV, but not one dedicated sports channel for those companies. Perhaps this is the stepping stone needed for both BBC and ITV to have at least one dedicated Sports channel each. They've partly gone down this route with the interactive channels, which provide extended and diverse coverage of the big events, such as Wimbledon, UEFA Cup and FIFA World Cup. Also, with more sophisticated and diverse recording systems, people can record specific chains of programmes more easily. The BBC has specifically said that Grandstand (one programme, multiple sports) will be replaced by multiple programmes, each about a specific sport. To me, this is more logical and better for the viewer. Also, it means the general entertainment channels are freed up for general programming.
If the BBC and ITV dedicate channels to sport, then soccer fans may at last get individual programmes (one hour long?) dedicated to each league, instead of having to sit through a two or three hour programme about several leagues! I'd suggest the programmes could be broadcast on the Sunday or Monday night, and that the format could be:
Now, what should the BBC call their channel? BBC Sports 1 is a bit dull..... how about BBC Grandstand 1
I emailed these thoughts to the sports teams of BBC, ITV and Sky.
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