Sky high prices are an injustice

I’m almost done with Sky Sports and once I can work out how to cancel the subscription (I fear without an engineering degree and the deductive powers of Hercule Poirot I’m doomed) I’m going to consider doing it.

The satellite channel have put their monthly price up again even though their product continues to diminish.

In recent years they’ve lost Champions League football and cricket’s Ashes matches in Australia. Two massive deals for me. If they lose the Ryder Cup I’m definitely gone.

A big percentage of their output seems to be repeats. This is certainly true since they launched dedicated channels for football and cricket.

And I see Sky are now trying to take the Six Nations rugby union away from free-to-air at a ridiculous expense, which no doubt gives them the excuse to hike the prices again.

I want to pay more to watch that sport as much as I want to pay more to listen to the ridiculous ramblings of Clinton Morrison, an ordinary ex-footballer who seems to be omnipresent on televison and radio these days.

Morrison’s mangling of the English language is remarkable to witness, but then he’s just following in the footsteps of some other unfathomable pundits, in particular Jamie Carragher (right) whose lovein for all things Liverpool FC grates as much as his imepentrable accent.

I would miss Graeme Souness and Roy Keane roasting any defender/goalkeeper who dares to play out from the back, but adverts irritatingly limit their amusing conversastions and confrontations.

I would also miss Gary Neville, still the top co-commentator by a country mile as he doesn’t view everything from the point of view of his old club, but I would be glad to be shot of Martin Tyler.

Tyler’s drift off on to subjects other than what he is supposed to be commentating on is as frustrating as the weird chumminess between BT football commentators Darren Fletcher and Steve Mcmanaman – or ‘Fletch’ and ‘Macca’ as they like to call each other while calling the action as inaccurately as is possible.

I’ve said it before, but all commentators should be force fed old videos of Barry Davies and Brian Moore commentating alone on matches.

They had no need for pointless statistics (‘United lead the way for headed goals from leftwing crosses in the first half of matches’) which are probably employed to hide a limited vocabulary and an inability to string descriptive sentences together (far better to chat about what their hotel is like as if the viewer cares a jot).

Despite my lack of love for the sport I’m dismayed rugby union chiefs are going to take Sky’s shilling. Have they not seen the damage done by hiding cricket behind a paywall?

Public awareness would decline and kick off times would become even more random than they already are.

Football is quiet on a Monday so don’t be surprised if England v Wales at Twickenham soon takes place at a time visiting fans would find impossible to make work.