Match of the Day
1964
📺 62 Seasons
🎬 3231 Episodes
📅 Returning Series
🌐 EN
⏱️ 80 min/episode
TalkNews
BBC's football highlights and analysis.
"The longest-running football television programme in the world" as recognised by Guinness World Records in 2015.
Seasons
Season 1
Match of the Day begins on 22 August 1964, for coverage of Liverpool versus Arsenal. Kenneth Wolstenholme opens the programme with the words: "Welcome to Match of the Day, the first of a weekly series coming to you every Saturday on BBC TWO. As you can hear we're in Beatleville for this Liverpool versus Arsenal match." The programme began on BBC TWO where it remained until 1966.
Season 2
Despite attempts by some clubs to prevent its return due to fear over ticket sales, Match of the Day returned to the BBC in October 1965 two months after the start of the new season.
The duration of each programme had been reduced to 45 minutes in length and it could no longer be broadcast before 10.00pm.
Season 3
In the year that saw England win the World Cup, Match of the Day moves to BBC ONE.
Season 4
Once again, protracted negotiations during the summer ensured the return of the show. In order to secure the deal the BBC had to agree to broadcast five matches from Division Two and two from Divisions Three or Four as well as the 23 Division One games that they wanted.
Season 5
Grandstand presenter David Coleman begins regularly presenting Match of the Day.
Season 6
From 1969, the programme becomes live and studio based, rather than being pre-recorded at the ground of the featured match, and there were now two games seen each week.
Season 7
1970 saw the introduction of the Goal of the Month competition, which led to thousands of postcards being sent to the BBC.
Season 8
John Motson makes his debut as a Match of the Day commentator.
Season 9
The current contractual agreement meant that Match of the Day had to lead with a Division Two fixture, and twice with a match from Division Three.
Season 10
Match of the Day appoints Jimmy Hill as the new presenter, after signing him from LWT. He was the first to both present the programme and offer expert analysis.
Season 11
Match of the Day signs a new three-year contract with the Football League.
Season 12
Derby County (League Champions) v West Ham United (FA Cup Winners)
BBC Television's Saturday-night soccer action programme returns with exclusive coverage from Wembley Stadium of soccer's showpiece curtain-raiser to the new season - the meeting of the two clubs who won last season's major honours.
Season 13
Liverpool (League Champions) v Southampton (FA Cup Winners)
BBC television's Saturday night soccer action programme kicks off again with exclusive coverage of the showpiece curtain-raiser to the new season -the traditional meeting of the two clubs who won last season's major honours.
Season 14
Match of the Day celebrates its 500th edition, marked with a special Radio Times cover and a new set of opening titles with hundreds of school children holding up cards that depicted Jimmy Hill's face and the Match of the Day logo.
Season 15
In November ITV signed a secret three year deal with the Football League to show edited highlights on Saturday nights instead of Sundays in an attempt to break away from the joint negotiating strategy and replace Match of the Day.
A ruling by the Office of Fair Trading prevented ITV's exclusive contract being signed but a compromise was reached.
For the duration of the next four year contract it was agreed that the BBC and ITV would have to alternate their programme coverage with Match of the Day switching to Sunday afternoons for the 1980-81 and 1982-83 seasons.
Season 16
For the first time Match of the Day was allowed to screen additional games, and on 13 weekends there were highlights from three different matches.
Season 17
After 16 seasons in the Saturday night slot, Match of the Day moved to Sunday afternoons.
Season 18
The programme returned to Saturday nights. Only two games were allowed to be shown per show.
Season 19
A new season and a new time for television's most popular football programme. Jimmy Hill introduces action highlights of two Football League matches and adds his own perceptive analysis of the weekend's action. Bob Wilson brings you the day's headlines.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers
Norwich City v Manchester City
Season 20
Match of the Day was back on Saturday nights as a highlights show but was supplemented by live matches on Friday evenings. The BBC and ITV had been allocated seven games each with the commercial channel choosing to broadcast theirs on Sunday afternoons. This was a radical change in strategy by all involved as prior to this new two year contract the only regular live domestic football had been the FA Cup Final, England against Scotland and the European Cup Final. Match of the Day was cancelled from 15 October to 19 November due to strike action at the BBC.
Season 21
The show celebrated its 20th anniversary and matches were still being broadcast on Fridays. Most other sports were now seen live on television so the production team wanted to continue the football experiment as well. Jonathan Martin, the Head of Sport at the time, recalled that the experiment was disappointing: "We only got six or seven million viewers on a Friday night which was poor for the slot so we moved to Sundays in the following year." This was to be the last time that Match of the Day contained weekly League highlights until the beginning of the 1992-93 season.
Season 22
In 1985 the television rights came up for renegotiation and BBC and ITV offered £16m for four years. This was in return for 19 live games plus weekend highlights. The Football League met on Valentine's Day and rejected it. Football was, however, in a weak negotiating position as the game was rife with hooliganism and the two sides became deadlocked. The result was a total black-out for the first part of the season which annoyed fans and concerned the sponsors. The Football League finally backed down and agreed a deal that gave them less money per game than before on a short term two and a half year contract. The remaining six months was worth £1.3m with a two year £6.2m extension confirmed in June. The supporters were delighted and Match of the Day resumed in January. It concentrated mainly on FA Cup highlights and the occasional live League match on a Sunday.
Season 23
With highlights out of fashion there were only 14 editions of Match of the Day all season and the only League action came in the seven live games on Sunday afternoons.
Season 24
The focus was still on the big clubs and the shows were very irregular. They followed the same format as the previous year with a mixture of live League games on Sunday afternoons and highlights shows for the FA Cup. This was also Jimmy Hill's final season as presenter after a record 15 years in charge of the show.
Season 25
Match of the Day celebrated its 25th anniversary and had to cope with the fact that, for the first time since its inception in 1964, it couldn't broadcast any League football. Instead, the team settled into the four year contract with the intention of breathing new life into the FA Cup. With the new contract came a totally revamped show.
Season 26
Des Lynam continued to present the show, joined by Jimmy Hill and Terry Venables as regular pundits.
Season 27
In the third season of the new contract there were 20 editions of Match of the Day but they were still restricted to covering FA Cup matches.
Season 28
After several years of speculation it was announced in February that a new, breakaway FA Premier League was going to be formed. ITV were expected to win the TV rights but the BBC and BSkyB combined to place a counter bid and had strong influence within the new organisation. In May 1992 the rights were decided and each club had one vote. BSkyB were awarded live matches on Sundays and Mondays and the BBC gained the Saturday night highlights as part of a five year deal. The two companies also joined forces to sign a new five year deal to cover FA Cup and International matches. ITV would be covering the Football League and the League Cup.
Season 29
With the new season came a new Premier League, a new contract and a new show, fronted by Des Lynam. Des was joined by new regular pundits, Alan Hansen and Trevor Brooking, and the show reverted to the classic format of extended highlights from three main games. Now, however, as well as all the extra analysis, viewers were also able to see the goals from all the other matches as well.
Season 30
Highlights of this afternoon's Charity Shield clash, the traditional pre-season curtain-raiser between inaugural Premier League champions Manchester United and last season's double cup winners Arsenal, at Wembley.
Season 31
Match of the Day celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Season 32
When Alex Ferguson's side were discussed on Match of the Day on the opening day of the season Des remarked that "United were scarcely recognizable from the team we've known over the past couple of seasons, what's going on do you feel?" Alan Hansen famously replied: "You can't win anything with kids... he's got to buy players, it's as simple as that."
Season 33
Highlights of the traditional curtain raiser of the domestic season, the FA Charity Shield, with Manchester United taking on Newcastle United at Wembley. Alex Ferguson's side, who won the Premiership and FA Cup double last season, contains several new faces, including summer signings Jordi and Karel Poborsky, as well as Footballer of the Year Eric Cantona. Newcastle, who were league runners-up and lost twice to United last season, will be looking to get the season off to a flying start with victory in their first appearance at Wembley for 20 years.
Season 34
A new four year deal secured Premier League highlights on the BBC. Mark Lawrenson joined Trevor Brooking and Alan Hansen as a regular pundit during the second half of the season.
Season 35
Des Lynam presented 36 of the 45 League and Cup programmes plus eight more UEFA Cup shows. Gary Lineker also fronted five editions with Ray Stubbs hosting the remaining four.
Season 36
Before the season began, on 2 August, Des Lynam resigned from the BBC and moved to ITV to become their main football presenter. Gary Lineker took over as the main presenter for the show.
Season 37
ITV won back the Premier League highlights as part of a three year deal. They also obtained Nationwide League rights whilst the BBC regained the FA Cup and England games. It was a major blow to the BBC, but Match of the Day continued to show live FA Cup and European games.
Season 38
With Saturday night highlights now being shown on ITV's The Premiership, Match of the Day reverted to covering live FA Cup and England matches as well as some UEFA Cup games.
Season 39
Highlights of today's FA Community Shield, the traditional opener to the English football season. As Arsenal won both the Premiership and the FA Cup last season, it is Premiership runners-up Liverpool whom they faced at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
Season 40
In August 2003, it is announced that the BBC has won back the right to show Premiership highlights from 2004, for three years.
Season 41
Match of the Day returns to the BBC for the new season, as part of a new football package on the BBC.
Season 42
This afternoon's traditional curtain-raiser to the new season saw Premiership champions Chelsea play FA Cup holders Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.
Season 43
Highlights of this afternoon's Community Shield match in which Premiership champions Chelsea took on FA Cup winners Liverpool at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.
Season 44
Gary Lineker presents highlights of the Community Shield, as Chelsea take on Manchester Utd.
Season 45
Highlights of today's opening matches in the Premier League, including Hull City's first top-flight match when they took on Fulham at home. Other fixtures include Sunderland v Liverpool, Everton v Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion.
Season 46
Coverage from the Hawthorns as West Brom take on Newcastle on the opening weekend of the 2009/10 Football League season.
Season 47
Jake Humphrey presents coverage from Elland Road as newly-promoted Leeds play their first match in the Championship for three years, against Nigel Clough's Derby County.
Season 48
Gabby Logan presents Championship football from Upton Park as West Ham kick off their season against Cardiff. With analysis from Lee Dixon and Dave Jones.
Season 49
Gary Lineker introduces the best of the action and reaction from seven matches on the opening day of the 2012/13 Premier League season, with Alan Hansen and Alan Shearer.
Season 50
Jason Mohammad presents highlights of Wales against Republic of Ireland from the City of Cardiff Stadium.
Season 51
Jason Mohammad introduces highlights of the annual season curtain-raiser as Premier League champions Manchester City take on FA Cup winners Arsenal at Wembley. The last five Community Shields have produced 20 goals, with clubs from Manchester prevailing in four of them.
Season 52
Highlights of the season's traditional curtain-raiser at Wembley Stadium, which sees Premier League champions Chelsea take on FA Cup winners Arsenal. The match will be the first between the clubs since long-serving Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech was allowed to move across the capital to join the Gunners, although it remains to be seen whether the 33-year-old makes his debut against his former employers. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger may see this match as an opportunity to rid himself of an unwanted statistic - he is winless in 13 matches against Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. Wenger's men have failed to score a single goal in their last five games against the Blues, but they will have fond memories of their last trip to Wembley in May, when they thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 to win the FA Cup.
Season 53
Highlights from the 2016 Community Shield between Premier League champions Leicester City and FA Cup winners Manchester United.
Season 54
Manish Bhasin presents highlights of the traditional curtain-raiser to the Premier League season as Champions Chelsea face FA Cup winners Arsenal at Wembley. Antonio Conte's team will be looking to quickly forget that 2-1 FA Cup Final loss to the Gunners at the same ground back in May, with both teams expected to show off some of their expensive summer signings.
Season 55
Gary Lineker presents highlights of the 2018 Community Shield. Football's traditional curtain-raiser at Wembley Stadium sees Chelsea take on Manchester City in what is sure to be a fascinating contest. Pep Guardiola's City will be keen to continue where they left off during a record-breaking 2017-18 season which saw them demolish their rivals en route to the Premier League title.
Season 56
The best of the action from the first headline clash of the new football season, as double winners Manchester City take on European champions Liverpool at Wembley.
Season 57
Liverpool and Arsenal seek to begin the new season in the same manner they ended the previous one, with a trophy, as they face each other at Wembley.
Season 58
Gary Lineker introduces highlights from the opening round of fixtures in the new Premier League season, including Manchester United’s clash with trans-Pennine rivals Leeds United.
Season 59
Gary Lineker introduces highlights from the opening round of the new Premier League season, including the game between Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
Season 60
Gary Lineker introduces highlights from the first seven fixtures of the 2023/24 Premier League season, including Luton Town’s return to the top flight after a 31-year absence.
Season 61
Gary Lineker introduces highlights from the opening seven games of the new Premier League season, including Liverpool’s trip to Suffolk to face newly promoted Ipswich.
Season 62
Highlights from the first weekend of the 2025/26 Premier League season. There are six matches to enjoy, including two games involving newly promoted Sunderland and Burnley.
Related
Network
BBC One, BBC Two
Production
BBC Sport
Keywords
sportsfootball (soccer)