North Yorkshire MP John Grogan is battling for armchair football fans to win the right to continue watching the World Cup for free.

In a Commons debate last night, he urged Ministers to do everything in their power to stop the television rights to the majority of games in the 2002 and 2006 tournaments being sold to subscription channels.

He attacked the game's Governing bidy, FIFA, for selling the rights to German media company Kirch -- accusing it of bringing "shame" to the sport.

Kirch is planning to sell the rights to the games featuring the home nations, along with the final, semi-finals and opening matches, to terrestrial TV channels. But it wants to sell off the rest of the games to subscription stations. Mr Grogan, MP for Selby, said this would deny nine million football fans in the UK the chance to watch the other nations taking part.

He said: "Many people would merely hear the cheers coming through the wall, and for the majority the result might well mean exclusion altogether.

"Among the people so excluded might be the children who grow up to be tomorrow's stars."

Government legislation passed in 1998 seeks to ensure that free-to-air broadcasters are given a "fair and reasonable" chance to bid for the rights.

However talks between the BBC and ITV have reached a deadlock -- with the channels unwilling to pay the £150m to £200m Kirch wants. They are only willing to pay around £50m, which is still around ten times more than the sum they paid for the rights to the last World Cup.

Mr Grogan wants Ministers to intervene in the talks and ensure the BBC and ITV are given a second chance to secure the rights. Culture Minister Janet Anderson said the Government had written to Kirch to remind it of the requirements of the law.

Kirch is planning to auction the rights next month, and the Minister promised the Independent Television Commission would scrutinise the sale.

Updated: 10:58 Friday, April 27, 2001