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Town in ITV Protest - Ipswich Town News

Derek Bowden and David Rose will be Town's representatives at tomorrow's Football League protest against Carlton and Granada. The chief executive and club secretary will attend the demo outside the companies' offices with chairman David Sheepshanks currently on holiday in Corfu.

The demonstration is part of an ongoing Football League Save Our Clubs campaign against the broadcasters behind the collapsed ITV Digital.

Bowden, who began his job with Town last week, outlined the day's activities: "We are meeting
with accountants KPMG at 10am and it promises to be an interesting first meeting for myself.

"Then at 12.45pm the protestors leave the hotel in an open top bus and head for what is intended to be a very peaceful and polite demonstration."

It is hoped that action will continue for 12 days with fans from six clubs protesting on each day leading up to the beginning of the League's court case against Carlton and Granada on July 26th.

Fans are being encouraged to add their name to a petition on the Football League's website (http://www.football-league.co.uk/today/view/breaking_news_detail/0,,10794~231348,00.html) while MPs are being lobbied to support the League's stance.

Chairman Keith Harris outlined the League's position: "We remain appalled that two corporate giants like Carlton and Granada can be allowed to cause such catastrophic damage to our national sport in the selfish pursuit of their own interests."

"We have made numerous attempts to negotiate with Carlton and Granada, only to be rejected at each occasion.

"Our patience is now at an end and we will turn up on July 10th and wait, as a united body of chairmen, for Michael Green [Carlton chairman] and Charles Allen [Granada chairman] to have the common decency to acknowledge our case."

Reports today claim that Carlton and Granada could offer the League an over-the-odds price for their highlights show. The ITV companies are said to be about to offer £15 million a year for the highlights rights while the BBC are rumoured to have put on the table just £4 million per season.

Carlton and Granada could use that £60 million deal to persuade the Football League to drop their court action for £500 million.

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