Football in the UK, as so many US blogs seem completely unaware, is a fair bit more than just the Prem. Moreover, most of us are at the very best ambivalent about the so-called benefits the flood of Sky money has brought the game. What we see are fat greedy clubs enabled and empowered to get fatter and greedier, with no thought for the rest of us, who incidentally develop the players they then cream off.

The reason we are still grimly hanging on to no live Saturday matches at 3 pm is because we know what happens. Show the Big Four live on telly and the floating support for most League clubs collapses. An embedded stream, officially sponsored by the Prem, would have precisely the same effect. Already our Tuesday night gates are hard-hit by the bloated greedfest that is the Champions’ League (not a League, not for Champions). Comparing the Prem to the NFL is completely pointless – the NFL is a *franchised League, with no League structure and nothing underneath comparable to the 72 Football League clubs and the pyramid. The dynamics are totally different.

Bleating about market realities ignores the strong sense of community FL clubs enshrine. It’s not a damn business, however much Rupert Murdoch wants it to be one. Supporting a small, struggling club is about identity, passion and community. It’s quite hard to convey that on Youtube.