PUB landlord Roland Birks has pulled the plug on Sky Sports because he says it is too expensive.

He has kicked the channel into touch at Ship Centurion in the High Street after 16 years after a row over payments.

Bitter Roland, 34, fumed: "The charges were going up each year but ITV now have a third of the games. We were paying more for less. We just couldn't afford it any more."

The free house was paying £1,000 a month and had been warned the amount was to rise.

Roland said he asked if he could only pay when there were enough matches to justify the cost but was told it was all or nothing. So he pulled the plug.

He said: "Our customers understand. But many don't realise how much we pay for football. When I tell them, they are shocked. But people still want to watch sport in a pub with their mates.

"I will find out next month if our takings suffer without Sky."

He can still show matches broadcast by the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. He must take £3,000 a month over the bar to cover the Sky costs but admitted: "Sometimes there are only one or two people watching a match. Sometimes it is 30.

"It depends what match it is. Some will drink three or four pints, others will have half a lime and soda each half."

He is now waiting to see if he can sign up to a rival provider based in Europe. Landlady Karen Murphy, who runs a pub in Portsmouth, was fined £8,000 for using a cheaper Greek decoder to screen games but took her case to the European Court of Justice.

Judges said they could not justify banning foreign decoders that allow British pubs to show Premier League games from an overseas broadcaster.

The matter will be decided by Britain's High Court.

Roland, who took over the pub from his father Armin, said: "Sky says it is illegal to use another provider but there is nothing in black and white. I'm a law-abiding person so I won't use another until I am sure I can."