Match Of The Day
BBC's seasonal weekly football magazine Match of the Day
was first broadcast in 1964. For the first two years of its
illustrious career it screened on BBC2. The kick-off game saw
Liverpool defeat Arsenal 3 - 2.
 Commentators
have included Kenneth Wolstenholme (the best ever), Alan Weeks,
Wally Barnes, David Coleman, Idwal Robling (on the rare occasions
that a Welsh team were featured), John Motson, Barry Davies, Tony
Gubba, Alan Parry, Des Lynham and Gary Lineker.
Although Match of the Day has reflected the changing
face of British soccer, it took the BBC a while to adjust to the
trend of the club's sponsor being advertised on their
shirts.
In 1981, Everton goalkeeper Jim McDonagh mistakenly wore his
jersey with the name of their sponsors, Hafnia, emblazoned across
it for the second half of the televised game with Crystal
Palace.
When it was shown on Match of the Day, viewers saw the
goalkeeper from a side angle only. The ban on shirt advertising on
television has since been lifted.
As a result of television's obsession with showing only live
football, Match of the Day is no longer the force it was,
but when it graced our screens in decades-past you could be sure
of informed comments from its best-known anchorman, Jimmy 'the
chin' Hill (pictured above right).
Even Jimmy was lost for words once after a gaffe he made. It
was late on Saturday night and British Summer Time was due to end
the following day.
His closing words were "Goodnight, and don't forget to put
your cocks back".
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