Why we cannot publish OUR Fixtures! Own Goal by the Football League....

Last updated : 17 June 2010 By Rob Miles (barnsley Boy)
The fixtures for the 2009-2010 Premier League and Coca-Cola Football League come out tomorrow BUT:

Sadly we are unable to list the fixtures ourselves since the Premier and Football Leagues run a Limited Company called 'Football DataCo Ltd' and excessively charge for the use of fixtures on website and in the media.

This Company has the task of policing the media, and in particular the Internet. In 2003, the Compliance Unit allegedly closed down in excess of 250 fansites for publishing something seen by many as a right, not a privilege.

Hence this site and many others is not allowed to mention any fixtures in full or part despite that fact that by having access to the fixtures, supporters can then plan what matches they want to go to as well as making any necessary travel arrangements, unless £266 is handed over to this undemocratic group.

By not making the fixture list available to all, the Premier League and Football League are in turn going against their own policies of encouraging supporters to come to matches as as well as not acting under the freedom of information act.

This monopoly run with the Press Association is spreading to other sports such as Rugby League despite the fact that the European Court of Justice ruled that making money from lists of runners and riders or fixtures was illegal in 2004.


Email the Football League and tell them what you think at

<fl@football-league.co.uk>

P.S I will report on a couple of the key fixtures when they are released tomorrow but as I have said I cannot publish the full list.

Sorry.