Commons to debate TV issues

The relationship between football and television will be debated in the House of Commons this morning, a move that supporters' groups hope may eventually help lead to a fairer distribution of TV revenue and fewer inconvenient "made-for-TV" kick-off times.

The MPs involved have no powers to bring about such changes. This morning's event is an "adjournment debate", a forum for issues of concern to individual MPs or their constituents. Around 20 MPs are expected to attend. But the Football Supporters' Federation sees the debate as "an important first step" towards statutory regulation of the game. The timing is important because talks about the next Premier League and FA television contracts will begin in earnest soon.

"Once these new deals have been concluded, we'll have lost our chance of influencing them for another three or four years," Steven Powell, the FSF's development officer said.

The FSF is seeking a fairer distribution of television income, an end to "constant kick-off and match day changes", more games at the traditional 3pm on a Saturday and a TV-free midweek evening when small clubs could play without competition from big matches on television.

The FSF has two hopes of attaining its goals: slim hope and no hope. Football has been driven by television income for a decade and the authorities are in no position – and have no appetite – to start dictating to broadcasters now. To do so would be to diminish the value of match rights at precisely the time when football is desperate to maintain its income.

More feasible is that the debate will stimulate wider interest among MPs, lobbied by fans, to take a more pro-active stance on how football should be run. "More and more MPs are coming round to our agenda that if football can't regulate itself, then it needs statutory regulation," Powell said.

* The Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon said yesterday the removal of the Saturday afternoon "black-out" of live TV games is likely to be demanded by leading clubs. He said: "Of the five main countries in Europe – England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy – we are the only ones who operate a black-out period."