Pub screened football games illegally

A pub which once claimed to be the cheapest in Britain has been ordered to pay more than £4,000 for illegally screening football matches.

Belal Hussain, owner of The Marksman in West Bromwich, pleaded guilty on behalf of his company The Millionaires Club to seven counts of showing Premier League games at the venue without paying for the proper commercial contract between December last year and March.

Hussain still owns the freehold on the Carters Green pub but has since sold the lease, with a new restaurant called Cinnamon Spice due to open at the site on Sunday, operating alongside the bar.

It has also emerged new owners Tyne Enterprises are seeking a 24-hour licence for the troubled venue, despite it having been ordered to slash its opening hours earlier this year following complaints from police.

Hussain, aged 22, of Thynne Street, West Bromwich, appeared before magistrates in West Bromwich yesterday as director of The Millionaires Club (Midlands) Ltd, to face copyright charges for screening football through a domestic Sky contract instead of a commercial deal.

Similar charges for the same screenings against Hussain personally as a licence holder and former employee Nanu Miah, aged 44, of Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull, were withdrawn.

The court heard the pub avoided charges of £1,242 a month for a commercial Sky contract by showing the Premier League games with a domestic licence. The Millionaires Club was ordered to pay £550 for each offence plus £1,000 towards costs and a £15 victim surcharge, making a total of £4,865.

Mr Sham Uddin, defending, said: "The director of the company, Belal Hussain, is only 22. It looks like he has bitten off more than he could chew. He basically took over a business and didn't realise the consequences of doing certain things.

The company itself at the moment isn't making money but nevertheless they understand their obligations in relation to fines amassed by the court."

Hussain also appeared before magistrates yesterday for a separate hearing in relation to an appeal against Sandwell Council's decision in June to curtail opening hours at the pub following a licensing review.

The full appeal is due to go ahead on December 17.

Licensing chiefs ordered the pub, which can currently stay open until 5am at weekends, should close at midnight to cut down on trouble. It will retain its late licence until the appeal is heard.

The pub attracted national attention last year when it claimed to offer the cheapest pints in the country for 89p, later slashing them to 45p for a limited period.

Other promotions have included giving away free spirits, but the deals have been criticised by police who claim the venue has become a magnet for trouble and drug-taking.