A GROUP of Scotland fans who are campaigning for free-to-air Scotland games on TV have made the next step in achieving their goal.
The Oorladsoortelly campaign has been gaining traction over the past month as they work toward achieving Scotland’s crunch world-cup qualifying play-off against Ukraine becoming a free-to-view TV event.
Steve Clarke’s men are just two games away from reaching their first World Cup tournament since 1998, and the group of dedicated Scotland fans think everyone has the right to watch.
The Hampden Collection, who are behind the campaign, were successful in pushing through Scotland’s Euro play-off against Serbia in 2020 as a free-to-air match. They re-ignited their campaign in October 2021 and, after reaching over 1,300 signatures and writing a letter to Parliament, momentum is growing.
The Scottish Affairs Committee published the letter which contained supporters comments on why Scots should be able to watch their national side on TV.
One supporter, Paul Maxwell said: “Football is part of our culture and heritage. If England can get all their games on TV why can't Scotland.”
Another supporter branded the current situation as ‘insulting’.
Following our evidence session with @WeAreSTV, in which we discussed the coverage of Scottish national team football matches on their channel, we have been contacted by @Hampdeners regarding their #OorLadsOorTelly campaign for all games to be broadcast on free-to-air television.
— Scottish Affairs Committee (@CommonsScotAffs) February 23, 2022
Scotland's free-to-air match with Serbia in 2020, seen them qualify for their first major European tournament since 1996, and the event amounted more than 2.6 million viewers.
It is understood that Sky have an estimated 1 million customers in Scotland, with 50% of those having Sky Sports.
Graeme Brown of the Hampden Collection said that millions of supporters who don't have the correct channel stand to miss the match.
He said: "The publication of our letter is Parliamentary recognition of the importance of our campaign.
"We are less than 30 days away from Scotland's vital World Cup play-off and by our calculations almost 2 million Scots are set to miss out watching their heroes Live on the TV.
"The next generation of Andy Robertson, David Marshall and John McGinn could be missing out, and all because the games are not available to all. That for us, is a massive missed opportunity."
Currently, Scotland games air on Sky Sports which requires a monthly or annual subscription to watch, and it's not the first time the campaign has come up in parliament.
SNP MPs previsouly expressed their desire for the same result, with Ian Blackford and Gavin Newlands writing directly to the managing director of Sky Sports to plead their case for the semi-final against Ukraine to be free to watch.
READ MORE: SNP urge Sky Sports boss to broadcast games for free
The two MPs told the TV boss: “This would ensure that every Scotland fan has the chance to watch these crucial matches without the need to pay a subscription fee.
“Households are already experiencing mounting bills across the board – they should not be forced to pay to watch this national event.”
Mr Blackford stated: “Anticipation and excitement is building across Scotland ahead of the play-off draw for the Fifa World Cup in Qatar next year.
“Steve Clarke’s team have brought us on a joyous journey that has united the Scottish public in support for these players and their dream of representing Scotland at the World Cup.
“I urge Sky Sports to do the right thing and make these games free-to-air so everyone is able to properly enjoy these huge games.”
Scotland are set to take on Ukraine at Hampden Park on March 24, and if victorious, a tie with either Wales or Austria away from home will be played on March 29.
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