Updated at 15.00
LEEDS UNITED HAVE ‘reluctantly’ allowed Sky Sports into Elland Road to televise tonight’s Championship fixture with Derby County.
The West Yorkshire club had refused to permit Sky personnel access to the ground ahead of the match due to owner Massimo Cellino’s unhappiness at what he claims are repeated kick-off and date changes for their fixtures.
Leeds claimed they are among the clubs to be shown most regularly on television and were asked by the Football League on Monday for their observations on the situation.
And as negotiations between Leeds and the Football League were on-going, the latter had confirmed sanctions were a possibility.
“Under Football League regulations clubs are required to provide access to the League’s broadcasting partners for the purpose of setting up and filming any matches that are selected for transmission,” said a spokesperson.
Failure to do so will lead to a club being charged with misconduct with the matter being referred to an independent Football Disciplinary Commission (FDC).
“The FDC has a full range of sanctions at its disposal.”
The organisation said on Monday that it hoped for a swift resolution, and at 3pm on Tuesday, just hours before kick-off, Sky personnel were finally allowed access to the ground.
“Leeds United have reluctantly allowed Sky cameras into Elland Road to broadcast tonight’s fixture against Derby County,” a statement from the club reads.
“Leeds United have noted that the majority of press reports on the matter have quite rightly appreciated that the club’s issues with the Football League relate in part to the entirely disproportionate number of times Sky have selected the club for live transmission.
It is not just the number of times the club has been selected, but the fact the adjoining fixtures are also then disrupted which adversely affects the players, the club’s logistical arrangements and the fans’ arrangements.
“It is clear to the club that its key supporters, the Season Ticket holders, have also had enough of this constant alteration, often at short notice, to the fixture list to accommodate Sky.”
Cellino – who saw a second individual disqualification from running the club suspended by the Football League in November – has previously been critical of Sky’s scheduling, stating the club’s stature is “exploited”.
The former Cagliari owner limited the number of away tickets Leeds would sell to 2,000 as a way of protesting to the Football League in October.
He clearly felt he and done enough in the first half and wanted to go home
Copy and Pasted from The Ladbible
Quick, alert the English clubs and slap a £30m price on that man’s head. He’s proved himself surely over 45 mins so that must be enough for a big money move to say Newcastle!
Don’t think Newcastle can pay 30 million pound buddy
Swap him for Berahino, he’s 6ft 8 too so he would suit Pulis