Match of the Day will die like Football Focus if BBC is not careful
Match of the Day will die like Football Focus if BBC is not careful
Mark LawrensonThu, August 20, 2026 at 2:11 PM UTC
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Mark Chapman, Gabby Logan (centre) and Kelly Cates are fine presenters, but they need quality pundits to work alongside - Charlie Clift/BBC
Match of the Day is one of the BBC’s crown jewels and a show I am proud to have been a part of, but without the care it deserves it will go the same way as Football Focus.
I still love Match of the Day. The presenters Mark Chapman, Kelly Cates and Gabby Logan are superb, and the BBC is fortunate to have them to step into the huge void after Gary Lineker left.
For as long as they have pundits of Alan Shearer’s stature, the BBC’s football coverage is in safe hands. My worry is that there are now so many vehicles out there for the most insightful pundits – especially with the growth of podcasts such as Gary’s – why would anyone feel an obligation to stay if they are worried about the direction of Match of the Day? There may come a point where questions will be asked, “what is happening here?” and other offers will feel more attractive.
How long before they say, “get me out of here?” It looks like it is already happening.
The BBC is in safe hands with the likes of Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney - BBC
There is so much football now – probably too much – which is why people are more selective about what they watch. The best pundits will inevitably consider what happened to Football Focus and worry about the future. Eventually, the BBC will be left inviting one man and his dog to offer opinions on the day’s matches.
Like all the best football shows, what attracts viewers is the familiarity of the personalities offering their insights. You may not always agree with them, but when they have authority, respect and gravitas you will still tune in to hear what they have to say.
Match of the Day still works because, alongside the coverage, supporters want to hear what someone like Shearer thinks, as they did Alan Hansen in previous years. If you are fortunate to have former players of that calibre, you can’t keep everyone guessing about which week they will be appearing. That’s madness.
Mark Lawrenson (second left) was a Match of the Day stalwart alongside Alan Hansen (right) - BBC
If there is any discontent behind the scenes, it is no surprise. The warning signs are there.
When too much attention focuses on saving money rather than preserving what has made the show the success it has been for over 60 years, the quality will suffer.
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BBC ought to have cherished Gary
Losing Gary was a massive own goal for the BBC, especially for Match of the Day, and there was concern that his exit was the first step towards decline.
The general view of every Match of the Day viewer was, “Lineker is on, we’re in safe hands. It’s going to be good”. It is still good at the moment, but every year it feels like we’re getting closer to the day where it has been changed too much and more viewers will go elsewhere.
Well-respected figureheads such as Gary are difficult to find. When you have someone like him, he ought to be cherished. The BBC should have done everything possible to keep him, especially since it was obvious he would re-establish himself on another platform. Look at his Netflix show during the World Cup. It was brilliant.
In contrast, I could not believe the BBC’s approach to the World Cup, with the presenting team based in Salford for the majority of the tournament while Gary and his two former BBC colleagues – Alan and Micah Richards – were in the United States. I know care has to be taken with budgets, but it’s the World Cup for God’s sake.
Lineker, along with Micah Richards (centre) and Alan Shearer (right) make up The Rest is Football podcast - Garry Jones/Netflix
That was nuts and it sends out a bad signal about priorities.
The biggest tournament only comes around once every four years. As one of the main broadcasters, surely you have to do what it takes to get your main presenting team out there?
In the meantime, you can be sure that all the commentators, behind-the-scenes staff – including the producers and engineers – as well as those on BBC radio, felt like they were being dragged here, there and everywhere to keep costs down, taking a flight a day to make sure every World Cup game was covered. The crews never get a mention, but I am sure a few must have been thinking, “the bosses are taking the mick out of us here”.
When you look at the BBC as a whole, the programming is not what it was. If you are accustomed to working on a high-quality show and someone comes in to say, “we can’t afford to do it this way any more”, and their idea to evolve basically comes down to doing it cheaper, you are not going to be happy with the situation.
That is the root of all this, and it will affect staff and, naturally, the leading pundits who are most associated with the show. Like all of us who have been a part of it, they want it to be the best it can be and will want to see more of a fight to keep the standard high.
The BBC has dropped the ball too often recently. Let us hope Match of the Day isn’t next to pay the price.
Source: “AOL Sports”
