Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville has slammed the Premier League’s pay-per-view structure and demanded it is scrapped. A £14.95 price per match was introduced for games not originally selected for broadcasting in the UK, continuing to allow fans to watch every top-flight match they have been locked out for. Both of West Bromwich Albion’s games after the international break – draws against Burnley and Brighton – were screened as part of the ‘Box Office’ service while the upcoming trip to Fulham will also be available for an extra fee on Sky Sports. Now an angry Neville has had his say on the situation and explained how an independent regulator, something he is among those pushing for, is a smart idea.
Gary Neville said “What an independent regulator does, appointed by the government, is just look at balance and fairness. So that self-interest through the Premier League, or whether it be other factions of football, are just able to be brought back to a simple ‘no that doesn’t work’. £14.95, that doesn’t work, so Mr Regulator says ‘no you’re not doing that, it doesn’t work for the fan, it’s not fair at this moment of time we’re gonna stop it’. That’s one example. It just needs scrapping. It’s gone. It’s finished. No one is paying, no one is watching, it’s done, it’s finished, get rid of it.”
