Beeb are back... and ready to cut ties with Brooking & Hill era
FEW replays, little analysis and no interviews – because it’s straight off to Steve Ryder and the European Athletics Indoor Championship in Budapest.
The theme tune may be hauntingly familiar when live top-flight football returns to the BBC for the first time since 1988 on Saturday at 7.15pm for the build-up to Bournemouth against Crystal Palace.
But the look will be very different – unless a pundit has the temerity to match Trevor Brooking’s hideous red-and-white banded tie (below), chosen in honour of the north London derby 32 years ago.
Coverage of live football has grown with the amount broadcasters have invested for the right to show it. Back in 1988, the price per game was barely a 50th of what Sky and BT paid when Premier League rights reached their zenith just before the most recent round of deals.
So, “Goalmouth scramble is the phrase we hear these days”, was considered insightful halftime analysis from Jimmy Hill (inset, top).
Likewise, we accepted a thrown-together final wrap of highlights, Brooking looking forward to the much bigger FA Cup game next week and not a word from either the players or the managers. Then off to see David Sharpe going for gold in the 800m.
Former BBC head of sport Brian Barwick said: “The big problem we always had was that the windows either side of the action were always so tight. Sky and the Premier League changed all that.
“Even when I was working on ITV with the Champions League I remember having to get everything wrapped within 90 seconds of the final whistle so as not to delay any further the start of Coronation Street.”
Clive Allen, who scored for Spurs in their 2-1 derby defeat in 1988, said: “Those TV games were the few occasions when those who could not get to games could see you play live,” said Allen. “Millions used to watch.”
And with a Premier League record of four million viewers possibly set to tune in, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace could be about to discover how much free-to-air football on the box still means to a large proportion of the country.
BBC / ITV ...................... 5.2 BBC ............................... 1.2 BBC / ITV ...................... 6.2 ITV ................................ 44 Sky ................................ 191 Sky .............................. 670 Sky ............................. 1200 Sky ............................. 1024 Sky / Setanta .............. 1706 Sky / Setanta (ESPN)... 1773 Sky / BT ...................... 3018 Sky / BT ...................... 5136 Sky / BT / Amazon ..... 4640 2 1 2 4 5 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 20 6 28 72 60 60 110 138 138 138 154 168 200 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.6 2.8 3.6 2.5 4.1 4.3 6.5 10.2
7.7