The Big Match
Encyclopedia
The Big Match is a British
Association football television
programme, which screened on ITV
regularly between 1968 and 1992 (the last four years, the programme went under the title The Match).
The Big Match originally launched on London Weekend Television
, the ITV regional station that served London
and the Home Counties
at weekends, screening highlights of Football League matches. Other ITV regions had their own shows, but would show The Big Match if they were not covering their own match - particularly often in the case of Southern
and HTV. The programme was set up in part as a response to the increased demand in televised football following the 1966 FIFA World Cup
and partly as an alternative to the BBC
's own football programme, Match of the Day
. The Big Match launched the media career of Jimmy Hill
, who appeared on the programme as an analyst, and made Brian Moore
one of the country's leading football commentators.
The Big Match originally screened match highlights on Sunday afternoons (while Match of the Day screened them on Saturday evenings) but in 1978 ITV audaciously won exclusive rights to all league football coverage, in a move termed "Snatch of the Day". Although the Monopolies and Mergers Commission blocked the move, the BBC were forced to allow ITV to take over the Saturday night slot in alternating seasons, starting in 1980.
1) The Young Scene by Keith Mansfield.
2) Cheekybird by Don Harper.
3) La Soiree by David Ordini.
4) Jubilation by Jeff Wayne.
5) Aztec Gold by Silsoe.
6) Goal Crazy by Rod Argent. (The Match).
game between Tottenham Hotspur
and Nottingham Forest
which Tottenham won 2-1. ITV's football coverage continued and expanded throughout the 1980s, particularly after ITV finally won exclusive league rights in 1988, after which The Big Match was renamed simply The Match. Much of the coverage focused on the destiny of the First Division title, most memorably on May 26, 1989 when Arsenal's
decisive 2–0 win
at Liverpool
won them the championship by the narrowest of margins at their opponents' expense.
After ITV lost rights to the new Premier League to British Sky Broadcasting
and the BBC
in 1992, regular screening of the programme stopped. The final top-flight match shown live on ITV
was Liverpool's
2-0 win over Manchester United
on 26 April 1992, a result that sealed the title for Leeds United
.
, but all programmes covering that competition went out under the UEFA Champions League title. Through the 1990s, ITV covered highlights of the League Cup
, and between 1997 and 2001 had the rights to show the FA Cup
, both as highlights and live; from the start of FA Cup coverage at the beginning of 1998, ITV revived the name The Big Match for their football coverage. When ITV won back Premier League highlights in 2001, the new programme was however, simply called The Premiership
.
began showing old editions of The Big Match in its various regional and national forms on a Thursday afternoon, hoping to cash in on the sports TV nostalgia revival headed by the ESPN Classic
channel. Each edition was from the same week 25 years earlier. The first series of The Big Match Revisited ran until May 15, 2008, coinciding with the end of the 1982–83 season
. The programme mainly featured London Weekend Television
's The Big Match but occasionally aired programmes from Granada Television
(Match Time) and Television South
(The Saturday Match).
The second series began on ITV4 on January 1, 2009, covering the second half of the 1978–79 season
. The first episode broadcast was Granada's Kick Off Match coverage of West Bromwich Albion's
5–3 win at Manchester United
30 years earlier. The series ran until May, concluding with the 1979 FA Cup Final
. A mixture of The Big Match and Kick Off Match episodes were broadcast during the series.
In the 1990s, a similar show called The Big Match Replayed was shown late at night on ITV, repeating various editions of The Big Match from the 1970s.
and Tottenham Hotspur
. An edition due to be released for Liverpool
, entitled Liverpool: Match of the 70's, whilst containing Big Match content was unable to be released under the name due to contractual issues.
In addition May 2009 saw the release of further DVDs in the range including Big Match releases for West Ham United
, Newcastle United
, Chelsea
, and Arsenal
(Released under the 'Match of the 70's' banner).
Later editions in the series include discs centered on Everton
, Manchester City
, Leeds United
, Aston Villa
, Wolves
, two volumes of QPR
matches and the England
national team.
As well as selected match highlights the bonus content includes lots of additional footage including the Fun Spot. Viewers Letters, the surreal sight of Kevin Keegan
, Mike Channon and Elton John
presenting the show from about 1976. Other highlights include clips of Peter Taylor talking about his ill-fated book on Brian Clough
(which lead to their split), a 38-year-old Martin Peters, Brazil 1970 and a clip of a 21-year-old genius called Maradona.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Association football television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programme, which screened on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
regularly between 1968 and 1992 (the last four years, the programme went under the title The Match).
The Big Match originally launched on London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
, the ITV regional station that served London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Home Counties
Home Counties
The home counties is a term which refers to the counties of South East England and the East of England which border London, but do not include the capital city itself...
at weekends, screening highlights of Football League matches. Other ITV regions had their own shows, but would show The Big Match if they were not covering their own match - particularly often in the case of Southern
Southern Television
Southern Television was the first ITV broadcasting licence holder for the south and south-east of England from 30 August 1958 until the night of 31 December 1981. The company was launched as Southern Television Limited and the title Southern Television was consistently used on-air throughout its life...
and HTV. The programme was set up in part as a response to the increased demand in televised football following the 1966 FIFA World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
and partly as an alternative to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's own football programme, Match of the Day
Match of the Day
Match of the Day is the BBC's main football television programme. Typically, it is shown on BBC One on Saturday evenings during the English football season, showing highlights of the day's matches in English football's top division, the Premier League...
. The Big Match launched the media career of Jimmy Hill
Jimmy Hill
James William Thomas "Jimmy" Hill OBE is an English association football personality. His career has taken in virtually every role in football, including player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official.-Early life:Hill was born...
, who appeared on the programme as an analyst, and made Brian Moore
Brian Moore (commentator)
Brian Moore was a British sports commentator.-Early life:Moore was born in Gillingham, Kent and educated at the Cranbrook School, Kent, which was also the school of fellow commentators Peter West and Barry Davies....
one of the country's leading football commentators.
The Big Match originally screened match highlights on Sunday afternoons (while Match of the Day screened them on Saturday evenings) but in 1978 ITV audaciously won exclusive rights to all league football coverage, in a move termed "Snatch of the Day". Although the Monopolies and Mergers Commission blocked the move, the BBC were forced to allow ITV to take over the Saturday night slot in alternating seasons, starting in 1980.
The Big Match Theme Tunes
The Big Match had no less than six theme tunes in its life:1) The Young Scene by Keith Mansfield.
2) Cheekybird by Don Harper.
3) La Soiree by David Ordini.
4) Jubilation by Jeff Wayne.
5) Aztec Gold by Silsoe.
6) Goal Crazy by Rod Argent. (The Match).
Live Era
ITV's regional-based coverage of football ended in 1983, with The Big Match becoming the sole football highlights programme on ITV. That same year, the first live league match since 1960 was shown, a First DivisionFootball League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
game between Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
which Tottenham won 2-1. ITV's football coverage continued and expanded throughout the 1980s, particularly after ITV finally won exclusive league rights in 1988, after which The Big Match was renamed simply The Match. Much of the coverage focused on the destiny of the First Division title, most memorably on May 26, 1989 when Arsenal's
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
decisive 2–0 win
Liverpool 0–2 Arsenal (26 May 1989)
The final match of the 1988–89 English Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool and Arsenal, at Liverpool's Anfield ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division and the teams were close enough on points for the match to...
at Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
won them the championship by the narrowest of margins at their opponents' expense.
After ITV lost rights to the new Premier League to British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1992, regular screening of the programme stopped. The final top-flight match shown live on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
was Liverpool's
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
2-0 win over Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on 26 April 1992, a result that sealed the title for Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
.
Modern Era
ITV did gain coverage of the new UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, but all programmes covering that competition went out under the UEFA Champions League title. Through the 1990s, ITV covered highlights of the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, and between 1997 and 2001 had the rights to show the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, both as highlights and live; from the start of FA Cup coverage at the beginning of 1998, ITV revived the name The Big Match for their football coverage. When ITV won back Premier League highlights in 2001, the new programme was however, simply called The Premiership
The Premiership (TV series)
The Premiership was a television programme which showed highlights from the FA Premier League...
.
The Big Match Revisited
On February 7, 2008, ITV4ITV4
ITV4 is a British television station which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action...
began showing old editions of The Big Match in its various regional and national forms on a Thursday afternoon, hoping to cash in on the sports TV nostalgia revival headed by the ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic (UK)
The British version of ESPN Classic launched on 13 March 2006 on Sky channel 442, the first channel in the UK under the ESPN branding. On 3 August 2009, ESPN Classic launched on Virgin Media channel 533 as a part of the XL pack, and in early 2011 video on demand content started to appear on the...
channel. Each edition was from the same week 25 years earlier. The first series of The Big Match Revisited ran until May 15, 2008, coinciding with the end of the 1982–83 season
1982-83 in English football
The 1982–83 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Bob Paisley's last season as Liverpool manager ended on a high as they topped the First Division with a comfortable lead. Bob Paisley retired as Liverpool manager with a record 21 prizes in nine years. His...
. The programme mainly featured London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
's The Big Match but occasionally aired programmes from Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
(Match Time) and Television South
Television South
Television South was the ITV franchise holder in the south and south east of England between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1992. The company operated under various names, initially as Television South plc and then following reorganisation in 1989 as TVS Entertainment plc, with its UK...
(The Saturday Match).
The second series began on ITV4 on January 1, 2009, covering the second half of the 1978–79 season
1978-79 in English football
-FA Cup:Manchester United had seemingly pulled off a remarkable comeback against Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final to make the score 2–2 after being two goals down, but a last-minute goal from Alan Sunderland saw Arsenal lift the trophy with a 3–2 scoreline...
. The first episode broadcast was Granada's Kick Off Match coverage of West Bromwich Albion's
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
5–3 win at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
30 years earlier. The series ran until May, concluding with the 1979 FA Cup Final
1979 FA Cup Final
The 1979 FA Cup Final was a football match played on 12 May 1979 at Wembley Stadium. The match was contested by Arsenal and Manchester United. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest-ever finishes in an FA Cup final. For over 85 minutes the game had been unremarkable, with Arsenal taking...
. A mixture of The Big Match and Kick Off Match episodes were broadcast during the series.
In the 1990s, a similar show called The Big Match Replayed was shown late at night on ITV, repeating various editions of The Big Match from the 1970s.
The Big Match on DVD
In April 2009 a series of Big Match titles were released on DVD for clubs including Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. An edition due to be released for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, entitled Liverpool: Match of the 70's, whilst containing Big Match content was unable to be released under the name due to contractual issues.
In addition May 2009 saw the release of further DVDs in the range including Big Match releases for West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
(Released under the 'Match of the 70's' banner).
Later editions in the series include discs centered on Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, two volumes of QPR
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
matches and the England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
national team.
As well as selected match highlights the bonus content includes lots of additional footage including the Fun Spot. Viewers Letters, the surreal sight of Kevin Keegan
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United....
, Mike Channon and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
presenting the show from about 1976. Other highlights include clips of Peter Taylor talking about his ill-fated book on Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
(which lead to their split), a 38-year-old Martin Peters, Brazil 1970 and a clip of a 21-year-old genius called Maradona.