#OorLadsOorTelly Campaign Update – World Cup Qualifier Final To Be Shown On Free-To-Air – 15th March 2022
On 14th March, Sky TV presented evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee. Earlier this year in February, we submitted an evidence letter, which the Committee published, explaining our justification for Scotland matches to be broadcast on Free-To-Air Television. We believe Scotland should be brought in-line with both England and Wales, and these games made available for all.
You can see the evidence session here and see what Sky had to say from 15:36 –
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/2489e087-a62b-4741-a5ff-86bccf89d0d2
Sky confirmed they will share matches where there are ‘decisive moments of national importance’ and make them Free-To-Air. Therefore if Scotland reaches the World Cup Qualifying Final this summer, they will work with ITV to make this available for all. The phrase Sky used is ‘we have a responsibility to maintain the exclusivity for our Sky Sport subscribers’, and therefore will only do this on these special occasions.
Let’s go back as a step. The Scotland National Team profile is on the up and growing by the day. The Tartan Army Club’s are managing pent-up demand, with high a number of applications. The ticket packages are now better value for the upcoming games and are selling at a phenomenal rate, and the Scotland Supporter’s Club membership has also increased dramatically over the last few years.
Sky is doing the honourable move by showing the final, and will again prove there is national demand for these events. However in our view, these should not be exclusive for subscribers but should be inclusive for every Scottish football fan across our country. At the very least, and considering the circumstances, the World Cup Qualifying Semi-Final should be shown on Free-To-Air. However Sky has said that this doesn’t meet their ‘Decisive Moments Test’, and is off the table. We believe it does, and we all have a right to see both the Men’s and Women’s matches on mainstream Free-To-Air TV. We will never stop campaigning until this becomes a reality.
Thanks to the 1,384 people who have signed our petition so far. We will leave the petition open to make sure this debate continues until we convince the Free-To-Air Broadcasters to obtain the rights to the Scotland National Team matches. Remember, both England and Wales somehow manage to tip the balance and get these Free-To-Air, and therefore why doesn’t Scotland?
Click the link to sign here and air your views – https://www.change.org/OorLadsOorTelly
Here is our letter published by the Scottish Affairs Committee. This says it all.
#OorLadsOorTelly Campaign Reignites – All Scotland Games On The Telly –
21st January 2022
Where were you on the 12th November 2020? How did you watch the most crucial moment in Scotland’s Men’s Team history in a generation? Yes, you couldn’t be there due to the Covid pandemic, but more importantly, you could watch it on the television. You could watch ‘Oor Lads’ on any ‘telly’, anywhere you like. This event inspired an entire nation.
The Hampden Collection continues its #OorLadsOorTelly campaign to push for all Scotland Matches to be broadcast on Free To Air Television.
Sky Sports fantastic decision to show Scotland’s Euro Championship Play-Off Final on Free To Air Channels had generations of Scots sat down in front of the box to watch their team achieve the unthinkable. 120 minutes of stress, tears, joy and happiness stretched the Tartan Army to their limits until Marshall’s brilliant penalty save. Overnight, social media was ablaze with fans’ videos of the Tartan Army hugging each other in their living rooms, and songs not heard for a generation made their way back into the charts.
Yes, Sir, Scotland can boogie.
The next day Scots woke up to a nation gripped in a Global Pandemic, but with something to cheer about. They discussed the footy on the television from the night before with their pals and talked about their new ‘JFK’ moment.
On 21st October 2020, we launched our #OorLadsOurTelly Campaign, seeking to convince broadcasters to show the National Men’s Football Team on Free-To-Air TV. Success quickly followed with a national poll showing 92% of fans want this; and we persuaded Sky Sports to show it live. However, for the next Scotland game, reality set in: why is it not on television for all to see? Fans from the age of 5 to 95 were disappointed, and suddenly the mood changed.
Barry Kirk, Hampden Collection Chief of Comms, explains, “I was getting lots of texts and messages saying, ‘why do I have to listen to this on the radio?’. Every game for Scotland’s Men and Women should have the whole nation behind them, and at the moment, only through BBC Alba are we able to follow Scotland’s Women’s National Team. If we want to follow the Men’s National Team, we have to fork out big money to watch them. For me, that is fundamentally wrong.”
Scotland Men’s team are on their way to the World Cup Playoffs in March, with the game against Ukraine, and potentially Wales or Austria, enormous. We will never stop campaigning until everyone in Scotland watches their National Teams on Free To Air television. As the nation, which created the modern passing game of football, access to watch our heroes is a birthright, and everyone should have Free To Air access to it.
Barry continues, “We understand the tender for the Scotland National Team TV Rights from June 2022 through to 2028 is now out. We are campaigning for the terrestrial broadcasters to secure rights for all the Scotland games and show them Live. These TV rights have to be value for money, with millions guaranteed to tune in and watch their heroes play football. We want it to be Free-To-Air. We need it to be Free-To-Air. We ask the Tartan Army to get onboard with our #OorLadsOorTelly campaign to convince the terrestrial broadcasters to make this a reality.”
Come on, Scotland, let’s do this!
Our Campaign First Success – 7th November 2020
On 21st October 2020, we launched our #OorLadsOurTelly Campaign, which seeks to convince broadcasters to show the National Men’s Football Team on Free-To-Air TV. Over the last two weeks we have been campaigning hard and ran a poll in the Scotsman newspaper, whereby 92% of voters believed everyone should have access to view these matches.
Today we received brilliant news Sky Sports has listened and announced they are showing Scotland v Serbia, European Championship play-off Final, our most important match in 22 years, on Free To Air TV on Thursday night.
Barry Kirk, Hampden Collection Chief of Comms, explains, “This is a fantastic result for the campaign and for the nation as a whole! Our poll proved there was clear support to have the game on our Free To View TV and Sky have stepped in!”
This is the biggest of games for Scotland in a generation, and maybe, just maybe, give the nation a wee lift when we need it most during these difficult Covid times.
Barry continues, “This is a big first step towards returning our National Team to Free To View TV. Now the whole nation will support the team and watch in the safety of their own homes and maybe, just maybe we will finally get there.”
This is a brilliant first step in our campaign and we are off to a successful start. Times are changing.
Come on Scotland, let’s do this!
Our Campaign Speech – Launched on 21st October 2020
These are tough times. Unprecedented times. The strangest of times.
We are a group of eternal optimists at The Hampden Collection, who once again find ourselves dreaming. Dreaming of watching our National Men’s Football Team reaching their first major tournament final in a generation! Desperate for them to break the 22-year hoodoo circling above their heads.
On November 12th, Scotland play in a winner takes all play-off final against Serbia to qualify for the European Championships. Unfortunately due to these challenging times, the Tartan Army won’t be there to cheer their team on. In spirit obviously, but in reality, all we can do is stay at home to hope, dream, watch, cheer and cry.
Barry Kirk, Hampden Collection Chief of Comms, explains, “We can’t travel to the game. The Tartan Army is unable to muster its legions in the stadium, watch it in the pub or gather in homes. The world is in a tough place right now, and we recognise this is a necessity.”
We understand this is the case; however it highlights a core issue within Scottish Football. Scotland seems to be the only nation on Earth, which doesn’t show its own national football matches on its own national TV channels.
Barry continues, “With a game of this magnitude, unless we fork out a hefty subscription fee or a payment via pay per view channels, we will be unable to watch it live. We believe this is ridiculous, so we have started #OorLadsOorTelly campaign to try and right this ludicrous situation.”
We are campaigning to persuade the Television and Football Bosses, especially in times and circumstances like these, to show support for the nation and our national team. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to watch our national team play our national game, in our most crucial match, live on national television.
This is the biggest of games for Scotland in a generation, and maybe, just maybe, give the nation a wee lift when we need it most!
Come on Scotland, let’s do this!
The Hampden Collection 