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Talk is cheap - football fans want to see even more Match action

Birmingham Mail

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March 18, 2025

THE BBC chairman, Samir Shah, is attributed to stating that Match Of The Day should show fewer Premier League highlights and have more analysis. I could not disagree more!

Talk is cheap - football fans want to see even more Match action

Viewers switch on to watch the football action.

Mr Shah says that many fans had watched Premier League goals and action before Match Of The Day is broadcast. Only a few of the Premier League matches are screened live in the UK.

I would point out that many people do not have Sky or TNT Sports and also millions attend football matches in the Premier League, EFL, non-league and local football. That is why some people turn to Match Of The Day.

I know that people I talk to often record the show and spin through the analysis. There is a place for comment, of course, but not at the expense of the action.

The fact is they could change the presenters and studio pundits every week and the public would still switch on in the same numbers. Why, Mr Shah? Because they switch on to watch the FOOTBALL.

The BBC place too much importance on presenters and pundits. Many of them are good but the likes of Sky and TNT have much more time to fill because they are sports channels with long hours and they are often paying many millions to broadcast each match. The BBC has limited time in comparison.

The interviews with players and managers are almost soundbites on Match Of The Day. The streaming services do much longer ones and I would prefer to hear what people involved in the matches say.

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