Leeds United fans donate to food banks instead of watching Whites on Sky Sports and BT Sport pay-per-view

Premier League matches in October which have not been earmarked for regular televised coverage can only be watched live via Sky Sports or BT Sport box office services for a fee of £14.95.

Many fans felt that was a step too far when they already pay regular subscriptions to broadcasters as well as for season tickets to watch their team in person, something the coronavirus pandemic currently prevents them from doing.

Following in the footsteps of Newcastle United supporters, the Leeds United Supporters' Trust has encouraged fans to donate their fees to their long-running food bank campaign.

The LUFC Trust said on Monday morning that 100 fans had donated the price of the game in the 12 hours since it stated its intentions to send the money the way of a food bank.

The Leeds Fans Foodbank is a charity partnership that was set up around 13 months ago by the Trust and began taking collections a year ago, combining two Leeds food banks - Leeds North and West Foodbank and Leeds South and East - that cover most of the city.

It used to collect on matchdays at Elland Road but has since moved fundraising online.

Almost £35,000 has been raised since the campaign started.

The Trust has already taken a stand against the pay-per-view model.

They said on their website: "We are extremely disappointed at the decision by broadcasters to screen Premier League games as part of a Pay Per View model.

"Over 22,000 Leeds United fans have already paid for a season ticket that they are unable to use, and more have subscribed to as many as three different broadcasters in order to watch matches. We are now being told that we will have to pay an additional £14.95 per game to watch those that haven’t been selected for the televised schedule. This is excessive.

"Understandably there are costs attached to the set up of broadcasting extra games, but passing on this cost to fans in the current climate is wrong, considering many are already paying some form of subscription."

The statement added: "At a time when fans are struggling financially, they are now being asked to pay out even more for what is essentially an inferior product when compared with live football.

"We expect better. We expect other options to be explored immediately. We expect the Premier League and Broadcasters to be clear where the PPV money will go. We hope that any extra money raised by PPV fees will go to supporting lower league clubs who are under extreme financial pressure, rather than in the pockets of Broadcasters.

"Broadcasters need to stop pricing fans out of football and clubs need to stand together with fans. Football without fans is nothing."

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said last week that the pricing was “defensible” and that the broadcasters were ultimately responsible for setting the price.

The chief executive of BT’s consumer division Marc Allera said on Thursday that the suggested price came from the Premier League, and that BT was “pretty much just covering our costs to put these games on”.

Allera said the intent of the move was to “get some money moving into the clubs and the leagues that are struggling”.

It is understood the Premier League clubs are yet to reach a decision on how to split any revenue generated from the pay-per-view matches.

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