BACK of the NET!

As Match of the Day celebrates its 60th anniversary, Des Lynam looks back at his time hosting the world's most famous football show

- SEAN MARLAND, JACK WISBEY

When Kenneth Wolstenholme presented the first-ever Match of the Day on Saturday 22 August 1964, many doubted whether the show would last until the end of the season – with some football clubs complaining that match highlights would lead to a slump in attendances.

Six decades on, however, and Match of the Day is a cornerstone of BBC1’s Saturday-night TV schedule – recognised by Guinness World Records as the longest-running football TV programme in the world, with millions of fans tuning in each week to see how their team has fared.

The iconic show celebrates its 60th birthday this weekend, with host Gary Lineker and his team of pundits analysing all the action from the opening Saturday of the new Premier League season.

One man who’ll be watching with interest is Des Lynam, 81, who hosted Match of the Day between 1988 and 1999. We caught up with the famously laid-back broadcaster to hear his memories of the show…

How excited were you to become Match of the Day host in 1988?

I was shocked because Jimmy Hill was the host and had been doing it for so many years. I got a phone call asking if I wanted to stop doing Grandstand and take over on