Farewell Grandstand

....and on numerous compilations of TV themes. The original theme ("News Scoop") has also been re-issued several times on LPs and CDs of BBC themes and British light music. Why, though, have I NEVER found a recording of the second Grandstand theme. It ran from around 1970 (or whenever they went colour) until the current theme arrived in 1976, I think.

The video sequence which went with the second tune was the only one which didn't originally feature a camera/cameraman too!

It's the brand linked it all together though - and got viewers watching sports they wouldn't search out in the schedule.

And ridiculous as it sounds, not only did things like Sailing for example sound better being associated to the Grandstand brand, but even the coverage of the World Cup and Olympics just don't seem to have the same gravitas without the association of the Grandstand name.


Events like the Six Nations and live FA Cup games will always find a place in the schedules - it's the smaller sports that often filled just a 15-20minute slot that will suffer the most!

The brand is BBC Sport, you don't need a sub-brand.

This is no more than rose-tinted spectacles, the Grandstand brand has been barely used other than to top and tail the programme for years. Most listings magazines list the sports and their timings individually, and that's far better than have it lost under the "Grandstand" umberella, it's unnecessary and redundant.

In the Sky Sports era, it's far better to be more descriptive about your content, and build it around the BBC brand.

I'll admit defeat in getting you to agree with me, but don't you think the loss of Grandstand seriously devalues the BBC Sport brand?


I do have a major football sized chip on my shoulder - and things have admittedly moved on alot in six years, but when the BBC lost the Premiership highlights they did everything they could to ensure the Match of the Day brand survived - and looking back on it that was the beginning of the end for Grandstand.

In what respect was it the beginning of the end, MOTD was only used for Fa Cup and international matches.

Whilst I understand the reasoning behind dropping Grandstand, and largely agree with it, it was a very clever/cunning decision to announce in April that it was being axed but appeasing it by saying 'Grandstand will be phased out by 2009'. Looking back, it's a ridiculous statement as it could have meant any date!

But announcing it two days before the end after a very quiet mention in The Guardian in December is just trying to keep the news to a minimum.

Let's hope for something more than just a couple of minutes of highlights at the end of Sunday's show.

What the BBC are ending Grandstand. But at the end of the day BBC can do what it likes. Just like anyother network can do.

At the end of the day, today's digital interactive television world has killed off the Grandstand branding.

Well, that's been the main excuse but they could have easily branded the service "Grandstand Interactive".

Digital has NOT killed Grandstand. Grandstand was always there as a "window"/celebration of all sports due to the fact of minimum broadcasting hours at the time. All that digital has done is expand the number of broadcasting hours thus meaning that all sports can be shown in there entireity (I know spelling mistake!!!).

The one thing that has killed Grandstand but it won't be mentioned is the cost of televising sport - how much did Sky/Setanta/BBC pay for their packages for the Premiership, how much did Sky/Five pay for the cricket and it goes on. BBC just doesn't have enough variety of sport to do GRandstand any justice.

IMHO what the BBC is doing is just evolutionary - they are expanding the sports they do have into their own programmes and thus finding their own niche audiences and for the casula viewers.

Well they obviously wanted rid of the brand before the Six Nations starts next week, but they should have taken it out on a higher note, such as a major final or something, not shortened on Saturday and Bowls on Sunday...

So I wonder what theme they'll use for the Six Nations then - Rugby Special?

It be even more of an insult if the Grandstand theme is still used! The excuse of it being axed due to it being wrong to use the Grandstand brand at 8pm on a Saturday night is pathetic - it's been used 24/7 in the past for events such as the Olympics!1


I think it shows how ashamed the BBC are of their decision that in fact the last programme is announced in a blog! Even TOTP (which was far more out of date than Grandstand and about five years overdue for the axe) got more respect than this!