"No, this wasn't a cheese dream, it was Masters Football. Back then, the competition was still the talk of the summer. The six-a-side matches were played indoors and only eight minutes per half. Over-35s, legends of the British game and beyond, took part in regional tournaments across the country, followed by a showpiece finale that was attended by thousands and watched by many more at home."
"Just 24 months later, though, it was no more. According to Steve Black, the CEO of Masters Global Limited, whispers of dwindling viewership and slowing ticket sales that surfaced after the Masters vanished were completely unfounded. Journalists would write, Oh, people lost interest,' but that wasn't the truth, Black says now. The last time we went into Sky, our ratings had doubled from the previous two or three years. Sky took us off for financial reasons."
Masters Football featured over-35s six-a-side indoor matches with eight-minute halves and regional tournaments culminating in a showpiece final. Tranmere Rovers secured a dramatic 4-3 victory at Liverpool's Echo Arena in September 2009, a highlight of the competition's popularity. Sky Sports broadcast the tournament for ten successive years before withdrawing for financial reasons despite claims of improving ratings. The event transitioned into nostalgia but has been relaunched regionally, with Manchester and Scottish Masters events staged recently. Steve Black, the original creator and CEO of Masters Global Limited, remains the driving force behind the revival.
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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