Setanta

[JetSetWilly]

Message on the setanta page on sky, has ceased trading.

[bigbadwolf]

Des Lynam will be cursing the day he jumped ship from the BBC. Serves him right though! I used to respect him like he was my grandad until he sold out to ITV. With any luck I'll see him begging for change outside London Bridge by the end of next month.

[Kells]

Woohoo, I save ?15 a month!

[JetSetWilly]

same here, problem is the barstewards took ?12.99 on the 21st, better get it back - starts holding breath

[Mick Mac]

Des Lynam did the Setanta adverts for very little money as he knew the Irish guys who started Setanta. So credit to him.

I wish the footie public had embraced Setanta rather than being critical of it. It was a good value product. Sky is far too expensive.

[matthew123]

The problem I found with Setanta and the reason I eventually cancelled is because the picture quality was sub standard. I did like their magazine shows. They have some decent analysts on board like Collymore, McManaman and Graham Poll ... but they also had morons like Tim Sherwood and Craig Burley continually moaning, in particular at Liverpool. It's a shame Sky never allowed them to transmit in High Definition on the Sky HD platform as they might have made a difference.

[Annasfield]

Collymore and Macca - decent?!

I would never knock setanta as they stopped sky having the monopoly and that could only be a good thing.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Well, the EU stopped Sky having the monopoly to be fair. Setanta were the ones that stepped up when the EU opened the space

I won't miss them. Primarily because as Matthew123 says - the picture quality was atrocious - sometimes worse than ITV and that is saying something. The pundits were ok, but No British broadcaster has nailed it's pundit selection anyway

I won't miss the yellow and black colour- scheme either

And their customer service was for the most part woeful

But apart from THAT they were ok. ESPN taking over the games and showing them in HD will still keep competition going* and improve picture quality

*Although I'm not sure how competition works in this case. Before sky = very little live football but free. Sky = more football than I can watch plus a fee. Competition = Sjy Fee plus another Tenner a month to watch more football than I can manage. If a third player comes along? That'll be another tenner a month. Of course I dont have to (and don't!) pay for them all but it does mean I never am sure who is showing what game

[Keef]

I think Macca is decent. One of the few ex footballers who has a brain, and can talk in something other than football cliches.

[Ladygooner]

Do we know if ESPN is going to be subscription only or pay per view?

[SeanMacGabhann]

From everything I have read it's subscription - "around a tenner"

[jaybee82]

Pretty annoyed about this as I paid my subscription up front. I was a huuuge fan of some of the random sports they used to show - particular favourites were the World Woodchopping Championships and Uruguayan Chariot Speedway. Unmissable!

[Mick Mac]

The advantage with Setanta was that you could have just the "best of" on channel 34 for ?10.99 per month and you did not need to have Sky as well - just a top up card in the back of the TV did the trick, no boxes/wires etc.

ESPN is likely to be a Sky top up - more money on top of your original sky subscription - I'm not sure you will be able to get it on Freeview as a stand alone.

[matthew123]

I think Collymore is a good match analyst - maybe not the greatest in the studio but he does a lot of co-commentary on Radio 5 which I think is a lot better than the twaddle of Waddle or Graham Taylor.

McManaman was bit of a disgrace when he first turned up on telly, slouched in his chair wearing his 3 piece dandy suits.. but thankfully over time he's got over his ego and it fairly articulate rather than continually trying to score points like Jamie Redknapp on Sky.

I'll probably not be signing up for ESPN if it's only football, and certainly not unless it's HD, what might swing it is if they start showing the NBA (and in widescreen / HD with a bit of luck) as that has been solely missed on Sky.

[KidKruger]

Cancelled my subscription last month which became effective on June 15 :)):))

[jimmy two times]

My favourite analysts/ pundits on TV are Andy Gray, Alan Hanson and Andy Townsend. Townsend has grown on me and is a pretty decent pundit and pitches his analysis and delivery right.

On the radio I like Jimmy Armfield, Graham Taylor, Gabriel Marcotti, Hnery Winter, Brian Woolnough.

I have even started to like David Pleat on both mediums.

[Keef]

Noooo, you went a step too far for me there Jimmy, I can't stand David Pleat, he makes me want to put the telly on mute!

[matthew123]

Favourite broadcast team would be

Anchor - Des Lynam

Match Commentator - Martin Tyler

Match Analyst - Jimmy Armfield

Studio Pundits - Terry Venables, Harry Redknapp, Steve McManaman

[jimmy two times]

I have long disliked Pleaty and I'm a Spurs fan. I met him once and told him I was a life long Spurs fan and he didn't even look me in the eye, whereas Chrissie Hughton was a true gent. However, credit where it's due, his analysis is pretty decent. Matthew it looks like you have a fondness for a spiv with your selection of studio pundits. I'm suprised you didn't throw in Arthur Daley and Del Boy for a full house.

[woofmarkthedog]

Oh plop, didn't like the name anyway....sounded like a vitamin supplement

Flimsy I know but.....

W**F

[matthew123]

I've met David Pleat, he was so pissed that when I shielded my eyes from the sunshine he thought I was waving at him so he got up off his sun lounger to wave back. I also had a heated discussion with him over Steven Gerrard before he stormed off in a huff growling, "I'm not gonna argue with you".

El Tel and Honest Harry are in there because of their performance back in August when moaning like pair of bitches about Capello taking England further back than when under McClaren - hilarious.

[Annasfield]

You had a disagreement with someone over football? ::o

[Keef]

LOL

[matthew123]

It was early 05/06 season and my argument was the Liverpool midfield would be stronger with Gerrard on the right - Pleat kept saying Gerrard's best position was in the centre. Anyway, my point was proven with Rafa playing him on the right most of that season with Didi and Xabi central.

I guess Pleat doesn't like to be put in his place.. but someone had to do the dirty work..

[jimmy two times]

Pleat would not like a 'civvy' telling him what's what in football.