Newcastle fans are being treated worse than 'second-class citizens' as TV row escalates

The backlash against fans being blocked from watching 160 Premier League games on television this season has intensified following the selection of the first three rounds of live matches.

The world’s richest league and its clubs were accused of treating Newcastle United’s supporters worse than second-class citizens after none of their games were chosen for broadcast but every one of Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City’s matches were.

The Premier League was also mocked for directing fans to live radio coverage of those games not selected for television while they remained banned from attending matches during the coronavirus crisis.

Friday’s announcement of September’s live games saw 11 of the 28 fixtures – almost 40 per cent – not selected by Sky Sports and BT Sport, including all three of Newcastle’s, both of Burnley’s, and two out of three of Crystal Palace’s, Sheffield United’s, Southampton’s and West Ham United’s.

Ian Mearns MP, the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Football Supporters and a Newcastle season ticket-holder, told Telegraph Sport the club’s fans were being treated worse than “second-class” citizens.

Mearns said supporters already had a “very dim view” of the Premier League and its chief executive, Richard Masters, following the aborted Saudi Arabia-led takeover of the club.

“I’m not convinced that these decisions on televising games will do anything to change any of that and I’m afraid to say that there is a large body of feeling amongst Newcastle fans now where they regard the Premier League as the problem,” said Mearns, who wrote to Masters last week urging him to allow all match-going supporters to watch their own clubs play live on TV.

“The Premier League have got to make their minds up: do they want a league of 20 teams or do they want a league of six teams or five teams?”

Thomas Concannon, a Newcastle United Supporters Trust board member and St James’ Park season-ticket holder since the age of nine, said: “It’s frightening, the lack of consideration given to Newcastle fans at this current point in time. We won’t be able to watch our team at all – legally – whereas other teams’ fans can watch their teams again.”

Stressing supporters were prepared to pay – around £10 – per match to watch the club’s games, he added: “With everything that’s happened throughout the summer with Newcastle anyway, I just think people were looking forward to getting back to watching the team – and they still can’t. It’s adding to the list of problems that we’re having at the moment as a football club.”

Barrie Oliver, chairman of Burnley FC Supporters Groups, called for the Premier League to reverse its decision not to televise all matches while fans remained locked out of grounds.

Asked about being directed to live radio coverage of games not being shown on TV, Mearns replied: “What comes next? Are we going to have to start watching matches on Ceefax again? That is just patently ridiculous.”

Concannon added: “It’s staggering that they would think in this day and age that that’s an acceptable way for a fan to keep in touch with his or her football club.”

The backlash against the TV blackout is expected to be discussed at Thursday’s Premier League shareholders’ meeting.

Telegraph Sport has been told clubs fear any concessions made – even if fans are prepared to pay – could end up costing them in the long run.