The future of first, second and third division football was secured at the weekend (6 July) when the Football League agreed a £95m, four-year, television rights deal with Sky Television.

Following the collapse of Sky Digital earlier this year, owing football clubs £189.5m, many clubs had faced ruin, but under the new agreement, will now receive £20m in the first year.

Despite clubs receiving around a third of what they had expected under the ITV Digital deal, clubs are upbeat, believing 30 per cent to be 'better than nothing'.

The deal means that Sky will broadcast 60 live Nationwide League matches - including 50 from Division One - plus the three end of season playoffs; two games from each round of the Worthington Cup as well as the semi-finals and final and coverage of the LDV Vans Trophy final.