Where did you hear about this first?

Yes, on thefreekick.com that’s where. Another exclusive for Ireland’s premier sporting website. From today’s Indo:

Setanta snap up rights to FA Cup

Friday March 30th 2007

PAY TV channel Setanta Sports and partner ITV are close to securing the rights to show live English FA Cup and England international home matches from the BBC and Sky in a deal worth more than 100million a season.

It is understood that under the new four-year deal being negotiated Setanta Sports and ITV will secure the cup and international games for just over 420m, with the two companies splitting the rights to matches.

Final negotiations between the English FA, ITV and Setanta were going on into last night, as the parties resolved the final terms of a deal.

The agreement will begin from August next year, and will see ITV broadcast England home qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championships, while Setanta Sports will show friendlies.

ITV is expected to get the first pick of FA Cup ties in each round, and seven games will be televised in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.

What an exclusive that was! Brilliant research. I hate to see these rags picking up on a story we broke a month ago.

I was looking for a link to where you broke the news but I couldn’t find the thread. Any ideas? It was on our flight to Glasgow for the Milan game I think but I don’t see it in the Champions League - Match Day 7 thread.

i think it was on the celeb spot thread. and to think i thought Rock was talkin shite!

Good work gerrardno1, here’s the link:

http://www.thefreekick.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=37&topic=31.90

That story was broken weeks ago on celeb thread here. i was the main enquirer but i don’t want to make a big deal out of it.

Yeah best not make a big deal out of it.

Still this could be the breakthrough thefreekick.com was looking for. First with the news by a country mile.

you must be proud, pied.

I am. But as I say I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.