ESPN Nil, Fox Soccer Channel Two

It was June 9, 1993. Graham “The Turnip??? Taylor’s England team is defeated 2-0 by the US national side at Foxboro – just five months before Taylor was sacked by England. What sticks in my mind, though, is the inexcusable television coverage by ESPN.

Anyone remember watching this match? It’s hard to believe but *while* the game was playing, ESPN decided to break to commercials because the action had slowed down a little. After returning from a 2-3 minute break, ESPN reporters updated TV viewers that the US had scored during commercials. It’s hard to believe, but it wasn’t that long ago.

Twelve years on, we’re spoilt for choice thanks to Fox Soccer Channel, GOL TV, etc. And thankfully, the coverage is much improved. We even have a better selection of matches each weekend to watch from than even those fans in the UK. But what does the future hold for us? How many games can we possibly watch a week? Stay tuned to this blog for insights and observations about watching the beautiful game — the English Premier League.