Soccer-FA Cup likes this – live game to be shown on Facebook
August 17, 2011 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
LONDON |
LONDON Aug 17 (Reuters) – An FA Cup qualifying round tie
that would normally attract a crowd of about 90 people could
boast a potential global audience of 700 million after an
agreement was reached to broadcast Friday’s match on the social
networking site Facebook.
The extra-preliminary round fixture between Ascot United and
Wembley will become the first match ever to be broadcast live on
the site after a deal was struck between the Football
Association and the competition’s new main sponsors Budweiser.
Budweiser’s marketing director Iain Newell said the company,
who earlier this year signed a three-year sponsorship deal with
the FA worth 24 million pounds ($39.4 million), were intent on
taking soccer’s oldest competition back to global pre-eminence,
and at the same time, take it back to the fans.
“The FA Cup started 140 years ago this year and what better
way to do demonstrate our commitment than by broadcasting the
very first kick to a global audience via Facebook,” Newell told
Reuters.
“This is the first time any match has been broadcast live on
the social network which is great news for fans and clubs
alike.”
The clubs, who play in suburban leagues at the lower end of
the English soccer pyramid, will both be paid nominal broadcast
fees for the match at the ground situated within the boundaries
of the Ascot Racecourse and has a capacity of around 1,500.
Ascot chairman Mike Harrison told Reuters: “Naturally this
is the biggest thing that has ever happened to the club.
“People talk of the FA Cup losing its gloss and that’s true
if Manchester City or Bolton Wanderers put out their reserve
team to play a match.
“But the whole town is absolutely buzzing. We run 67 teams
in all age groups and have 800 players on our books and are one
of the biggest grass roots clubs in the country.
“We had 88 people for a league match last night, but might
get 500 or even 800 for Friday’s game. The fact millions more
might well be watching on Facebook is astonishing. The whole
place has gone bananas.
“The FA Cup has lost none of its magic as far as we are
concerned. Not only that but the wife of our manager Jeff Lamb
is expecting their first child on Friday. It promises to be
quite a day.”
An FA spokesman said other matches in the qualifying
competition could also be shown on Facebook, but added: “There
are no plans to do so yet, but it could happen up until the
first round stage when the broadcasting contract between the FA,
ITV and ESPN comes into operation.”
($1 = 0.609 pounds)
(Reporting by Mike Collett; Editing by John O’Brien)
