Licensee Liz Robinson cleared of showing illegal football games

Nov 25 2009 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

CHELSEA v Manchester United is one of the biggest games in English football.

But the Stamford Bridge clash in last season’s Premiership landed a Huddersfield pub licensee in court.

Liz Robinson was charged with using an Albanian TV satellite service to show the game in her Longwood pub.

But magistrates cleared her of dishonestly broadcasting that match – which finished in a 1-1 draw – and others.

Mrs Robinson, of the Rose and Crown, Longwood, was yesterday found not guilty at Huddersfield Magistrates Court of dishonestly using an Albanian satellite service to show English football games at the Thornhill Road pub.

The court heard Mrs Robinson’s employer Border Management had installed a ‘DigitAlb’ receiver to show games during the 2008/09 season.

The DigitAlb service, which is licensed to show English Premier League Games in Albania, is available from internet stores from as little as £230 for 12 months – compared to £1,228 for an official Sky Sports pub package.

But DigitAlb is not licensed for broadcast in the UK.

The maximum penalty for using an unlicensed service to show Premier League games is £5,000. A licensee, if found guilty, may be stripped of his or her licence.