Lynam in hot-seat as Setanta kicks-off Premiership television coverage

‘COMPETITION’ was the buzzword bouncing off the polished wood floors and shiny chrome fittings of central London’s Century Club yesterday.

Setanta Sports chose a suitably lavish venue to unveil the team which will front their first season of Premiership television coverage — bought for a princely €924 million — and provide the first challenge to Sky’s domestic monopoly over the league’s live broadcast rights.

Michael O’Rourke, the company’s co-founder, spoke determinedly of tackling Sky — even gently mocking his rival’s new slogan, ‘All the football you’ll ever need’ — while Desmond Lynam, the veteran anchorman who was unveiled yesterday as an occasional Setanta presenter, believed it was high time Rupert Murdoch’s organisation was given a run for its money.