Archbishop of Westminster protests at football on Easter Day

From the London Times

The next Archbishop of Westminster has attacked the heads of the Premier League and Setanta Sports for holding football fixtures on Easter Day.

The Most Rev Vincent Nichols, who will be enthroned at Westminster next month, has written a strong letter of complaint to Richard Scudamore, the chief executive of the Premier League, and Trevor East, the director of sport at Setanta, for showing disdain for the religious traditions of Britain. Two Premier League games – Aston Villa v Everton and Manchester City v Fulham – are scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

Writing as Archbishop of Birmingham, along with the Anglican Bishop of Birmingham, the Right Rev David Urqu-hart, he accused the league and the broadcaster of disregarding the importance of Easter Day and treading on the sensitivities of their employees and football supporters. “Commercial considerations are not all that matters,” he said.

A spokesman for the Premier League insisted that it had done its best to consider Christian sensitivities. Easter Day was traditionally the one day when English football took a break over the four-day holiday weekend. However, the Premier League – unlike the Football League – has stopped playing matches on Easter Monday, allowing games to be put back from Holy Saturday to Easter Day without causing fixture congestion.

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6047319.ece