Phone Detective

There would, of course, be limits to what could be offered in this country. After all, recreating the atmosphere of an English league game kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday would be less appealing if crowds dwindle because fans are preferring to interact on their plasmas at home. "It's more a global vision, as we wouldn't do anything in England to undermine the 3pm window," said Scudamore. "We want to protect the whole of English football and I'm a great protector of that window. I'd rather people were attending the stadia in England, whether it be at Barnet or Arsenal.

"Anything we did to undermine that would be difficult for me personally and professionally. But this can become a reality, and it can be produced to satisfy a mass market. As most consumer goods are. This is innovative, but I can see it happening. And it's exciting: the sort of thing we should be doing."