Final blocked -- after ZBM failed to win broadcasting rights for the match.

Traditional FA Cup parties at people's homes have been booted into touch.

And now enthusiasts have only one hope of dribbling round the obstacle -- going to a handful of bars across the Island.

The head of the Bermuda Broadcasting Company claims the firm was shut out of negotiations for the rights to televise the Arsenal-Newcastle game after Setanta Sport, the agency that holds the rights, made a money-spinning deal with the bars.

An d Chief Executive Officer Rick Richardson said that the community was being robbed of the chance to watch a sporting spectacle. "Each year the BBC has negotiated for the FA Cup but this year we were blocked,'' he said.

"We normally deal with an agency in London called CSI but they had sold the rights to a company in Ireland, the parent company of Setanta, who we've never dealt with before.

"When I finally spoke to Setanta we were told that the reason we couldn't have it is because it had already been sold to the bars in Bermuda.

"Usually a small company like ourselves would pay about $3,000 for the rights. But the bars have each paid $1,000 and Setanta have obviously thought they could make more money if they can sell it to five or six bars.

"The thing is we were willing to pay up to $10,000 for the rights but we were never given the option. The bars moved in quickly. I don't blame them at all, it's a good business deal, but it's not good for the community.'' Mr. Richardson claimed that the deal between the bars and Setanta stipulated that no local broadcasting stations would be able to buy into the deal. "When I spoke to Setanta I was told that, because the deal with the pubs had already been made, we were out,'' Mr. Richardson said.

"They said that, last year the bars lost out when we broadcast it. Obviously people aren't going to go to a bar if they can watch it in the comfort of their own home.

"When we found out that we couldn't broadcast it live we looked at a delayed broadcast, putting it out in the evening.

"But Setanta then upped the price -- they wanted us to pay more than the bars for broadcasting it, even though we were broadcasting it late while they were getting it live. They didn't even want us to broadcast it on the same day -- they said the bars wouldn't like it.

"T his isn't just going on in Bermuda, it's happening throughout the region.

There's uproar in the Caribbean about it. "I'm an Arsenal supporter myself and I really want to see the game. But I'm not a bar person. The FA Cup has always been a family event and I think it's sad that a lot of young people won't be able to see it. I wouldn't want my daughter or my son to go to a bar to watch the game. I can understand it from a business point of view but its sad for the community.'' But Shane O'Rourke, president of Setanta Sport US Operations, claims that the BBC never made an offer to buy the rights.

"I think there was some confusion because the company normally deals with CIS in London,'' he said.

"You have to appreciate that the cost of the FA Cup are astronomical -- they've tripled and tripled.

Anger over ZBM's FA Cup blackout "I was willing to sell it to the BBC but all they were offering was $1,000 for a four hour delay. They were asking for a delayed rate but you have to consider that that would affect the bars.'' But Paul Christie of the Country Squire pub restaurant in Southampton, one of the venues that will be televising the game, said: "I assume ZBM haven't got it this year because of Setanta's control over the rights.

"It's sold as a complete package including earlier rounds throughout the year. Because we've paid for the whole package Setanta have had to block ZBM.'' Gary Shepard, manager of The Robin Hood, said: "As far as I know there is no truth in the rumour that everyone's got together to stop it going on local TV.

"We've always purchased as a package, featuring earlier rounds and whenever a game's been featured on local TV we get a credit.'' The Island's other broadcasting station, VSB, did not put a bid in to buy up the rights but could be transmitting the match on radio.

The match, which is beamed into millions of homes across the globe each year, will now be shown at the Docksider, Flanagan's and Robin Hood pubs in Hamilton, the Country Squire in Somerset and the Southampton Rangers Club.

Kick-off is at 11 a.m.

Rick Richardson