The Sport Thread

Sure thing, but then again I've always seen the title 'Grandstand' to indicate an 'all sports' show - for instance horse racing at 2,followed by Rugby at 3 and Snooker at 4.15.

Exactly - thats why I think it adds prestige! When I see a Grandstand-branded programme, being shown at a time that is NOT Saturday or Sunday afternoon, only featuring ONE sport, with 'World Cup' or 'Olympics' in front, I would think that this is a big event.

I find Match of the Day doesnt have quite the same effect.

And I also find it slightly worrying that I'm arguing out this point so much!

Fair comment again, but even so Match of the Day is a tag unique to one sport, and is used when the programme is dedicated to one sport, in this instance the World Cup and the Euros are dedicated to the sport in question. However, nowadays Grandstand is only on your Saturday or Sunday afternoons, where it is dedicated to many sports in one afternoon. Therefore, in my opinion, where only football is being played, and where the BBC has used a title that has established itself greatly in the past years unique for the sport, Match of the Day seems to be the only appropriate title.

Fair enough. You are right, unfortunately the Grandstand brand name has been continuously trodden on over the last couple of years. The current look wouldn't do justice to a major single-sport event like the World Cup. I wish they would get rid of the damn voiceover during the titles. They've ruined one of the most well-known theme tunes on TV.

So call it World Cup MOTD! But theres no reason why Grandstand cant show a live football match on a Saturday afternoon, right? England v Scotland at Euro 96 was live within Saturday Grandstand, and two matches during World Cup 98 were also shown live. Des Lynam presented them all, and they finished with the Grandstand credits and music.

It really annoys me when there is live football at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, that Grandstand runs from 1pm - 2.30pm, then ends and Match of the Day Live starts up. Saturday afternoons are for Grandstand, nothing else!

This would hardly ever happen though, as only Sky have the rights to live games at present and have done for quite a while, with the exception of the FA Cup. MOTD is only really on at 10.40ish on Saturday nights at the moment. Let's hope more terrestrial rights come along within the next few years!

Its happened more than a few times over the last year or two. Including a spate of England World Cup qualifiers and other home nations internationals, and countless FA Cup 12.30pm kick-offs - no reason why they cant be included in Grandstand.

They have done it once though recently - I think it was 2004 when the Arsenal v Man Utd FA Cup semi-final was included live in Grand National Grandstand.

Anyway, we'll agree to disagree on this one, eh??

Anybody got any ideas on the best BBC Sport image of the last few years? As I said earlier, my favourite was the 1996-1999 era.

I know I said this last year, but IMO having THREE live games (plus a replay) of each round of the FA Cup on the BBC really does diminish the competition.

I know alot of it is luck of the draw, but really only one of the games each round - at most two - is really a big match the nation would be interested in. The others don't appeal to much more than their fanbase and the most football obsessed fans (though the ratings probably suggest otherwise).


Talking Grandstand, I agree with most people here that it's role has been diminished - due largely to the BBC getting too involved in football.

I'd like to see Sport+ replace Football Focus myself (or share the slot with it) - discussing a broader range of sport rather than just football.

how can more exposure for a competition on a terrestrial channel in any way diminish it? The FA chief exec believes the opposite and the Beeb is thus expected to renew it's contract shortly.

and surely that second paragraph features a bit of a glaring contradiction doesn't it

And BBC Sport have just appointed a new Head of Visual Presentation. He's come from News.

From Media Guardian, 18th January 2006.



Speaks for itself really.

Ah, glad its not just me who feels insulted by the colours on scorebars. Christ almighty why do we need scorebars full stop?

TV producers think viewers are stupid thats why.

Q. How do people who go to the matches actually have any clue about what is going on if there is no scoreboard (as in Anfield until just a couple of seasons ago)?

A. They use their brains to keep track.

There cannot be any justification in keeping a permanent scoreboard over 90 minutes of football. After any goal is scored a seperate graphic is shown anyway.

The Champions League captions are the way forward (and the way TV graphics used to be shown before Sky arrived and had to cater for Sun readers pea brains). Caption after every goal, regular clocks shown & score updates every 15 minutes.

FCUK the channel hoppers. Anyone who wants a permanent scorebaord could press mix on Ceefax.

God knows how anyone could have known who won the world cup in 66. No DOG's, no clocks and no colour bars then coz coverage was in black & white!!!!

The BBC should be magnanamous with their coverage, and how much better would coverage be without DOGS when when HDTV arrives!

The scorebars are quite useful if you come in partly through a game (at a pub etc). I don't see a problem with them being there.