There’s something wrotten in the state of Premiership websites. It seems that a number of them have been taken over by a company called Premium TV. Indeed their website claims that they run over 80% of Premiership and Football League websites, and that’s where the problem lies.
I’m sure that they’re able to use the same basic backend system for many of these sites, and obviously it works out as good value for the clubs involved, since websites are probably a considerable cost, particularly for smaller clubs around the country. What I really object to is the fact that you can’t browse around these sites without registering. Am I supposed to register every time I want to visit one?
Supporting Arsenal, I visit them more than most, and have no problem with some of the better content being behind a registered area as long as it’s free. Sure, if you want to, you can attempt to charge me for audio coverage or video footage, but why should I register just to read the latest news or look over the first team squad. I don’t want emails from your club or other junk mail, so I won’t register, and I’ll have to resort to one of the many fan sites. You’ve lost visitors to your official site.
Premiership clubs involved are Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton, Leicester, Middlesborough, Newcastle Utd, Portsmouth and Wolves. I think the true nadir of this was revealed when I visited the Watford official site at the weekend to read about the sad death of young Man Utd footballer Jimmy Davis, but couldn’t because I had to register. Pretty poor, and not a way to attract new business. At least a good chunk of Premiership clubs, all of whom are attempting to sell various video goals packages, do at least let you wander around their sites.