Dear Setanta Claus, Please can we have our Premier League contract back?

Not even Des can help them now

As of a few minutes ago, if this chap asked Des Lynam for some live Barclays Premier League football he would no longer be able to dish out his Setanta Freeview box. He would instead have to make a polite excuse based around the fact that the Premier League has cancelled its contract with the troubled broadcaster.

A Premier League spokesman said: “It is with considerable regret that we announce that Setanta has been unable to meet their obligations. As such the existing licence agreement between us has been terminated with immediate effect.”

Setanta’s old Premier League package will now be reallocated depending on the outcome of a boxing match between Rupert Murdoch and Mickey Mouse auctioned to broadcasters before Monday, with Sky Sports and ESPN the favourites to land the live matches.