Leeds United and Derby County are set to meet just as the season begins the reach the business end.
A report in the Daily Mail has suggested that Leeds United will travel to face Derby County in a friendly in March as both clubs aim to send a message to the Football League.
The Mail reports that Rams chairman Mel Morris has organised the fixture after the league denied him access to the TV rights deal with Sky Sports that he argues could be much better.
Derby County chairman Mel Morris
Morris appears to be looking at the mid-season friendly as an opportunity to highlight the potential revenues that clubs could generate, and the Mail adds that this proposal has received plenty of backing amongst the owners of the remaining 70 sides in the Football League.
It is hardly surprising that the Whites have taken the opportunity to compete in the fixture. Last season saw several occasions where fans and the Leeds hierarchy were left hugely frustrated with the way that their games were rescheduled for television.
Leeds owner Massimo Cellino
The situation infamously came to a head when Massimo Cellino initially ordered staff at the club to refuse Sky entry into Elland Road the day before a televised game, coincidentally between the two sides set to contest March’s friendly (via Mail).
While the game ultimately went ahead as normal, it was only after it had got to a stage where it had become a real possibility that the contest would not be televised at all.
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