Sky One to screen Ireland game

SKY SPORTS are to make Ireland's Euro 2004 home qualifier with Switzerland more accessible to Irish fans by broadcasting the October 16 game live on Sky One.

Although the game will still not be shown live on terrestrial television, moving the game away from the subscription only Sky Sports network to the more generally available Sky One ensures that 66% of Irish households will have access to the match via cable or satellite.

However, despite the controversy surrounding the FAI Sky deal, an insider at the company yesterday insisted the decision to move the game as “purely a commercial decision, not in any way political”.