As the new football season kicks off this August, the television institution that is Match Of The Day celebrates 50 years since it was first aired and the BBC will pay tribute to the iconic programme in a special documentary.
Match of the Day at 50 airs on Friday, August 22 at 10.35pm on BBC One, the exact day 50 years ago that the programme, introduced by the great Kenneth Wolstenholme made its debut on BBC Television.
It will be the definitive documentary that charts the unique and rich history of this much-celebrated institution, now the BBC’s longest ever running TV sports programme, and highlights its long-ingrained place at the heart of Saturday night viewing for millions.
The hour-long film looks at how Match of the Day has evolved over the past five decades, remaining the place that football fans across the country tune in to every weekend to watch the latest highlights from England’s top flight division.
There will be an in-depth look at the elements of the show that have become synonymous with the MOTD brand, like Goal Of The Month and the show tracks down one of its serial winners who became a cult hero in the 1990s.
The film discovers why MOTD holds such a special place in the nation’s affections, with classic archive featuring former presenters and commentators including David Coleman and Jimmy Hill, plus legendary names from the game such as George Best, Brian Clough and Sir Bobby Robson.
There will be brand new contributions from more recent stars of MOTD, including Sergio Aguero, who goes back to the very spot he scored the most famous of last-minute MOTD goals in 2012.
Other contemporary MOTD stars will also feature, such as Jose Mourinho, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen and stars from the England women’s football team.
Huge celebrity fans of the show including Sir Alan Sugar, Sue Johnston, Piers Morgan and Russell Brand will also talk about their affection for the programme.
But the show wouldn’t be complete with out some of MOTD’s most familiar names and faces who have graced its screens over the last 20 years and more.
Former presenter Desmond Lynam and recently retired pundit Alan Hansen, along with the current on-air team including Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and legendary commentator John Motson, will all share their favourite memories from their time on the show.
Barry Stoller, who composed the iconic Match Of The Day music, talks for the very first time about how the tune came about and how it also went on to be officially the most recognised theme tune on Television beating EastEnders and Dr Who; plus there are also special performances of the theme by Lethal Bizzle and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Despite many changes and innovations to sports broadcasting over the last five decades and the evolution of the ways in which fans watch and follow their sport, with the advent of social media and on-demand video, Match of the Day still remains appointment-to-view television for football supporters every Saturday night.
Over half a century, Match of the Day has witnessed some of the greatest moments in football history, week in, week out and now, in this milestone 50th year, the programme celebrates the very best of the drama and the heartache.
From the big shorts and brown leather balls of the Stanley Matthews era, through the classic tussles of the old First Division, right up to the glamour of the globe-spanning Premier League that we know today, football has undergone an incredible journey.
Whilst looking back at the many great sporting moments the programme has witnessed down the years, the BBC One documentary will also remember and reflect how Match of the Day dealt with tragedy when 96 Liverpool fans lost their life at Hillsborough in April 1989.
Full of fantastic anecdotes and the finest footballing moments of the past 50 years, Match of the Day at 50 celebrates Match Of The Day notching up its half-century while continuing to set the footballing agenda for viewers.
The documentary will be screened on BBC One and BBC One HD on Friday, August 22, and will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer shortly after broadcast.
The first regular edition of Match of the Day for the 2014/15 season airs on the opening Saturday of the Barclays Premier League season on August 16, with a special MOTD featuring highlights of the FA Community Shield between Arsenal and Manchester City airing on Sunday, August 10.
For more information about Match of the Day, including a look at some classic clips from the show down the years, visit the official BBC website.
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FRIDAY 22nd AUGUST |
Match of the Day at 50
10.35pm-11.35pm BBC One
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