Premier League ramps up pursuit of foreign satellites

The FAPL has also confirmed it will be continuing to prosecute licensees with 145 cases pending against pubs who have shown Premier League football using foreign satellite decoders.

It will continue to pursue tenants individually who have been using the foreign satellites although is unlikely to take action against tenanted pub companies. Managed pub companies will face legal action.

Ray Hoskin, managing director of Media Protection Services, who is conducting the prosecutions of behalf of the FAPL confirmed it is looking at small groups of pubs as well as large pub companies to target.

He said: "We are looking at groups of pubs. Our investigation is now including details of the ownership of the pub.

"The only worry for the brewer is not just the personal licence but having the premises licence revoked."

Licensees can face a fine as well as having both their personal and premises licence revoked by the local authority.

The FAPL also confirmed that foreign satellite suppliers could face legal action within the next few weeks under offences such as obtaining money by deception. There are 20 suppliers around the country which could face imprisonment for up to 10 years.

The FAPL held a meeting at its offices in Central London today with the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), the BII and the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) to discuss the confusion and to reiterate that the case won by licensee Brian Gannon has not set a precedent to allow the licensed trade to use the systems to show the games.

Mr Gannon, licensee of the Fisherman's Inn, in Littleborough, near Rochdale, won a Crown court appeal against his prosecutions because the judge was not "sufficiently satisfied" he had acted dishonestly.