Hawthorns goes Widescreen!

17 May 2002

"Bert, what do you want most when we're promoted?"

"A big telly, just like yer Dad's!"

Well, you're in luck. The Club have just announced that they expect to be the first ones next season to have widescreen format televisions in the ground. Two giant screens, which will be located in the Millenium Corner and diagonally opposite between the Halfords Lane and Birmingham Road End, will be used as part of the pre-match entertainment, showing exclusive matchday programming produced by the Club themselves and including interviews, match highlights, previews and latest news.

During the games, the screens will be give a closer view of the action, although there are various regulations that govern live transmission inside grounds that forbid the replay of penalty incidents and other contentious moments. Other clubs have fallen foul of these in the past - Arsenal have been fined twice for replaying incidents on the grounds that this could influence the referee's decision. Many people, on the other hand, might see this as a good move that has been long overdue!

As a result of some clever negotiation, the screens will cost the club less £50,000 a year to run, and the cost will not interfere in any way with the development of the playing squad. The Club are planning to build a complete "Media Centre" in the corner of the Halfords Lane and Birmingham Road End, from which they will produce and broadcast their programmes.

Previous Stories:

  12 May 2002:  Congratulations, Blues!

  12 May 2002:  Megson under fire

  12 May 2002:  We are the smartest!

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