British TV viewers left in the dark

The initial bid, which German media giants Kirch rejected will not be raised even if England and Scotland managed to make the Finals.

A joint bid of £55 million by the BBC and ITV was reject by the Germans, who want £171 million.

A spokesperson has said that the original bid will not be increased, which means that British viewers are increasingly in danger of missing out on the World Cup 2002 altogether.

There are currently only 263 days left before the World Cup kicks-off. As the clock ticks by slowly, the problem is becoming more and more real for British armchair fans. What once seemed like a bad dream could turn into a nightmare reality.

10th September 2001