The sound of lucrative TV deals shattering into tiny pieces brings with it the dread of what will follow.

Scottish clubs look set to be hardest hit in relative terms given Setanta was the SPL's only broadcaster, while the Premier League and Football Association talk optimistically about the damage not being too great, placing their faith in highly-paid commercial executives to find alternatives.

Further down the food chain, those in the Conference must be seriously worried while the successful and much welcomed Setanta Cup, in which teams from both sides of the Irish border compete, may be in jeopardy if no-one can be found to foot the travelling costs.

There were plenty of aspects to Setanta's coverage I liked. The Friday and Monday night shows with James Richardson were always worth a watch and even if Craig Burley seemed to be trying too hard to become a more controversial copy of Andy Gray, commentaries were usually informative.

And, from a very personal perspective, Setanta allowed me to watch Farsley Celtic reaching the Conference a couple of years back, which was a lifetime highlight.

But that's the problem. Too much of their content was of the niche variety. Kidderminster v Barrow may be must-see viewing in a pocket of the West Midlands and south Cumbria, but beyond those boundaries, who really cares? The ITV Digital fiasco should have shown that.

To ever be more than a very little fish in a pool Sky dominate, in fairness largely to everyone's satisfaction, Setanta didn't just need the Premier League, they needed big matches in the Premier League.

But whenever the big four went head-to-head, they weren't there, or on the day Newcastle went down. The list goes on and on.

It will probably always be that way because, like Betamax and the Squarial, someone else got there first, did a job that people liked and there was no need for an alternative.

Now, someone else may have a go, although ESPN hardly seem the types to embrace Kilmarnock v Dundee Utd, but I suspect there will be no more attempts at multi-channel sport, other than what we already have.

Instead, the Premier League might use their much-trumpeted sixth package, which Sky cannot have, as a terrestrial offering for viewers who, for whatever reason, do not have a dish.

The rest, and the FA are included in this, will have to accept less in the future, maybe in some cases, nothing.

For some it is an unpalatable thought. But instead of trumpeting about being the best this or the best that, a bit more work right at the grass roots may yield greater results in terms of players which may encourage a few more people through the turnstiles.

Football, it is often said, has become a business. Well, businesses that are not run correctly usually go bust.

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Funnily enough, Setanta's problems would have been eased at a stroke if Florentino Perez had concluded Real Madrid would have been better investing £56million the ailing broadcaster rather than spending big on Kaka.

The Brazilian's exit from AC Milan was always likely once Manchester City came close to luring him to Eastlands in January, and so it has come to pass as Perez pursues his 'Galacticos II' project.

That £56million fee could be eclipsed if Cristiano Ronaldo threw in his lot with the Spanish giants, along with the likes of Franck Ribery, David Villa, Xabi Alonso and one or two more.

Sounds exciting doesn't it? Except we have been here once before, with a team including Zidane, Ronaldo, Figo and Beckham.

And what did they win? Ah yes, nothing.

Maybe Senor Perez would be better off with Setanta after all.

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It was an excellent effort of almost 58,000 England fans to brave the tube chaos at Wembley last night as Fabio Capello's team rounded off an excellent season by hitting Andorra for six.

With one win needed to be sure of qualification, Capello can already start making his plans for South Africa next year.

Less satisfactory were the horrendous queues to get away from the stadium.

With the Olympic Games three years away, it is to be hoped the situation will improve. Whether it will come in time to turn a negative into a positive for the 2018 World Cup bid team is a different story.

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So, that's it then. Titles won, cups lost, qualifiers completed. Time to put up your feet, rest and watch England regain the Ashes. Ahem.

Not quite. The Confederations Cup starts in South Africa tomorrow, the European Under-21 Championships on Monday and if that wasn't enough the popular Masters series is back with all those old, sweaty blokes trying to rekindle past glories in front of enthusiastic supporters, some of whom might even know who these ageing stars are. Bring it on.

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And finally, just to rub it in. You know those sticker books you used to get as a kid? The ones you nearly completed but never quite managed it? Newcastle won't be in them next season. An entire generation of children denied the Magpies. Now that is one for sorrow.