European Court to rule on TV football case

A MEDWAY pub owner has been taken to the European Court of Justice over televised football matches in a landmark case.

Sanjay Raval, 49, from Hempstead, is involved in a case which revolves around Premier League football matches broadcast in his Maidstone pub Earl’s and could set a legal precedent.

Mr Raval has been taken to the European Court by the Football Association Premier League (FAPL) because he used a foreign satellite system instead of Sky Sports to show the games.

He paid UK-based company Euroview Sport to broadcast matches transmitted from Greece.

The FAPL says Sky has exclusive rights to broadcast the matches. It claims the Euroview satellites and decoders are illicit devices and their use is illegal.

Mr Raval’s solicitors Smithfield Partners claim Sky Sports’ agreement is in breach of the European treaty concerning free movement of trade.

Mr Raval said: “Our argument is that if the decoder is an illicit device because it’s being broadcast from a foreign country to the UK, then so are iPhones because you can stream matches on them.”

“I’m only as confident as my legal team, and they are very confident,” he added.

Mr Raval, who also owns the City Wall bar and King’s Head Hotel in Rochester High Street, and the Waggon at Hale near Capstone Farm Country Park in Chatham, is one of four UK pub owners facing prosecution.

He began using Euroview in 2006 because it charged £1,000 installation and £50 a week. Sky Sports charges £1,400 a month.

He described the decision to go with Euroview as a “no brainer”, adding: “It was a very good bargain. If you don’t show football in this day and age, you’re not maximising your pub’s potential.”

Earl’s had been showing Premier League matches for two years when Mr Raval was ordered to stop by the FAPL.

Euroview has helped him with legal costs and Smithfield Partners, which is representing him in Luxembourg, are not charging.

Mr Raval went to hear the opening arguments to the case last Tuesday.

He thought he had the backing of all countries except the UK, Italy, Spain and France.

The case is due to finish at the end of January.