TRANSFER deadline day is remarkable as a television spectacle.

Primarily because, for the large part, nothing actually happens.

Hours upon hours of presenters cutting to reporters outside grounds or training complexes with seldom anything new to say.

Even studio pundits look bored out of their minds at times because they have run out of things to comment on or speculate about.

Yet, Sky Sports’ twice annual marathon remains compulsive viewing for football fans up and down the country as they await any snippet of news about their club.

Who would have thought that when the transfer window first came into being 12 years ago?

For some, it is a ritual without which the football calendar would not be complete.

For others, it has become a soap opera, only there’s no script and the only time we get to see the main protagonists is through tinted car windows.

Then there are those who see it as an opportunity to get themselves on TV.

I watched the last half-hour of coverage before the 11pm deadline on Monday and the only interesting thing that happened was an Aston Villa fan waving a life-sized inflatable doll in front of the camera.

Perhaps it is moments like these that make us tune in. The fans have almost become the stars more than the players.

Live television can be unpredictable at the best of times, never mind when there’s a group of slightly unhinged football supporters hoarded round a reporter.

It’s a disaster waiting to happen, but it’s fun waiting to see what they’ll do next.

For that reason we should continue watching and just check Twitter for the transfer gossip.