[Archived] Was Football On Domestic Tv Prior To Sky?

[Majiball]

I've been debating with an american about football on TV in Britain. He is adament that there never used to be any on domestic TV except MOD and the FA Cup. However me being me I'm sure we used to get a game on the weekend on BBC at one stage?

So can anyone else remember league football on domestic TV?

[cn174]

This may help

English football on TV

[ABBEY]

without looking at the link it was on sunday afternoons in the afternoon on itv.

[Majiball]

Thanks very much cn174 and ABBEY.

Link worked a treat 1983 onwards league football on domestic TV.

I was sure I'd watched league football on TV prior to the premiership so thanks for confirming it.

I'm looking forward to Uni tomorrow!!!!!

[Grabbi Graeme]

Sunday afternoon football on ITV, presented by Elton Welsby and the commantator was Gerald Sindstat.

[ABBEY]

i always rember my mum,id set the vcr for a game (cant rember which) and nipped out .Avoided radio 2 commentry and got home settled down in front of telly and she said i wont tell you the final score but theres no goals.

[Majiball]

i always rember my mum,id set the vcr for a game (cant rember which) and nipped out .Avoided radio 2 commentry and got home settled down in front of telly and she said i wont tell you the final score but theres no goals.

LOL, mums always good for giving the score away.

But you've got to love them mine even phoned after the 0-0 at United to make sure I was OK.

[jumpin']

What do you mean? I thought Sky had invented football

[Ray-Von]

From around the 83/84 season, the BBC used to screen live games on Friday evenings on BBC1. I seem to recall that our cup games against Southampton (who were a top 6 team at the time) and Man United both took place on a Friday.

[Majiball]

Thanks for all the replies he's got his tail between his legs now.

Why do they always have to tell you how it is even in your own country, hope he enjoys the revisions to his book!

[broadsword]

Sunday afternoon football on ITV, presented by Elton Welsby and the commantator was Gerald Sindstat.

Brian Moore and "The Big Match" goes back to the late 'seventies at least.

[Rover Down Under]

I've been debating with an american about football on TV in Britain. He is adament that there never used to be any on domestic TV except MOD and the FA Cup. However me being me I'm sure we used to get a game on the weekend on BBC at one stage?

So can anyone else remember league football on domestic TV?

Depends if you're talking about live matches, full live matches, highlights, etc. But semantics aside hell yeah I remember bucket loads of football on TV. Some of my faves were the BBC teleprinter that used to show the last 5/10 mins of a close game (like Rovers v Liverpool FA Cup in 1991 - heartbreaking last minute Atkins own goal, remember it like it was yesterday). In later years all they were allowed to show were the players leaving the pitch, you could figuratively see Murdoch dropping his trousers and mockingly peeing on the Beeb/ITV cameras. Even in years before that the games shown were not exclusively 1st Div (now Prem League), you could pretty much turn on the tele and be utterly surprised at what was on but not be dissappointed by what was on display. ITV started to catch up and overtake the BEEB just before Sky got their claws in, and their commentators were better...

To summarise your mate doesn't know what he's talking about - but he is American and probably thinks "they" won WWI and WWII on their own as well.

[T4E]

Pretty sure the Michael Thomas Arsenal/Liverpool Championship decider was live on terrestrial telly.

[Ozz]

Pretty sure the Michael Thomas Arsenal/Liverpool Championship decider was live on terrestrial telly.

It was on ITV live on a Friday night. Bloody funny too, as the bird I was with watched it with me, and she was a Scouser. Subsequently the phrase It's Up For Grabs Now... became a bedroom favourite.

[Majiball]

Depends if you're talking about live matches, full live matches, highlights, etc. But semantics aside hell yeah I remember bucket loads of football on TV. Some of my faves were the BBC teleprinter that used to show the last 5/10 mins of a close game (like Rovers v Liverpool FA Cup in 1991 - heartbreaking last minute Atkins own goal, remember it like it was yesterday). In later years all they were allowed to show were the players leaving the pitch, you could figuratively see Murdoch dropping his trousers and mockingly peeing on the Beeb/ITV cameras. Even in years before that the games shown were not exclusively 1st Div (now Prem League), you could pretty much turn on the tele and be utterly surprised at what was on but not be dissappointed by what was on display. ITV started to catch up and overtake the BEEB just before Sky got their claws in, and their commentators were better...

To summarise your mate doesn't know what he's talking about - but he is American and probably thinks "they" won WWI and WWII on their own as well.

I was saying that there was regular live league footbal prior to SKY, he was adament there wasn't and we only got the FA cup.

Its the arrogance of someone to come here and tell me what I have and haven't done in my life that really gets my back up. I remember being a very angry young lad when it moved to Sky as my parents refused to get it. Ah well he's been set straight.