By Tony Alvarez

Due to the fact that many fan cannot afford to go and watch their teams week in week out with the current prices of tickets fans have found other ways of watching their side.

  Many fans will openly admit that they watch matches either via internet streaming or in certain pubs which illegally pick up foreign TV channels and can show pretty much every match.

 Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn has hit out against this current trend of illegally streaming saying “the illegal showing of Saturday 3pm fixtures involving Sunderland has an extremely detrimental effect on our attendances…To anyone watching the game illegally in the pub I will continue to say: ‘By doing so you’re not supporting your team, you’re actually damaging the progress of the club.’

 Whilst Quinn clearly feels strongly on this subject as its his pocket that’s feeling the damage, if he was in the position of the average supporter would his feelings be any different, I would think yes.

  I personally do watch matches either via the internet or in a pub, whilst some will argue that I am taking revenue away from my club I see it completely differently, when ever I can get tickets I go when I cant I stream, I see it as being more of a fan as I go to any means necessary to watch my side play.

 I heard a certain former Aston Villa and Leicester striker talk about this on a radio show a couple of days ago, his analogy was “if you want a Ferrari but cant afford one you don’t have it, why with Football are fans now not able to afford the tickets but still watching the matches.” Very simply I can’t afford a Ferrari but if I was offered one for the price of a drink in my local every Saturday I would take it, with streaming the option is there so I use it as do many others.

 People often moan about a lack of passion in Football these days and clubs are always calling on the passion of supporters to get them through a sticky patch or win them a trophy, but now they are trying to take away the privilege to watch their side every week but have a huge passion but not the bank account to support the club at the ground.

 I understand Niall Quinn is not talking about fans that cant afford to go to the matches but the fans who choose to go to the pub rather than watch the match live but just because they can afford it does not mean that they want to pay £40 odd every week, add to that any family they may take along with them and it becomes ridiculously expensive.

 The atmosphere from inside a ground will never be replaced, so as long as fans can afford it and see it as a sensible option they will continue to turn up in their thousands to cheer on their side, but Niall I am sorry I don’t think you have the right to tell fans how they can enjoy their Football just because its affecting you.

What d you think? Do you personally watch live streaming? Is Niall Quinn going over the top saying it’s costing his club? Have you ever choose to watch a stream of a game rather than going to see the match live? Should streaming be made legal? Leave a comment and let us know.

Also if you could click the link below to join our Facebook group it would be greatly appreciated