The Big Match
The Network
Years
1983/84 - 1987/88
Big
League Soccer (1983/84
- 1987/88)
The following lists detail the games covered exclusively for transmission
overseas with ITV commentators. Thames TV were responsible for the majority
of match coverage and included them on Big League Soccer, which
had been the highlights series for export since 1979 (ending with the close
of season 1987/88). The programme would also include BBC footage but was
always produced by Thames.
1983/84
"Big League Soccer" plugged
the gap created by ITV's VT editing dispute with BBC footage plus Scottish
League action from STV.
17/Dec Arsenal
3 (Meade 3) Watford 1 (Johnston) *Brian Moore (shown live in Scandinavia)
14/Jan
Luton Town 1 (Kay(og)) Arsenal 2 (Sansom, Woodcock) *Brian Moore
21/Jan
West Ham United 1 (Cottee) West Bromwich A. 0 *Brian Moore (shown live
in Scandinavia)
1985/86
During the first half of season
1985/86, due to the TV football blackout, nothing of the following list
of fixtures could be shown on British TV, not even goal clips a week later
on the Saint & Greavsie show, but clips from most matches were included
on a home video presented by Brian Moore released in time for Christmas
1985.
24/Aug Arsenal
1 (Allinson(pen)) Manchester United 2 (Hughes, McGrath) *Brian Moore
31/Aug West Ham
United 2 (McAvennie 2) Liverpool 2 (Johnston, Whelan) *Martin Tyler
07/Sep
Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Falco, Chiedozie 2, Hoddle, Hazard) Newcastle United
1 (Davies) *Peter Brackley
14/Sep
Manchester City 0 Manchester United 3 (Robson(pen), Albiston, Duxbury)
*Brian
Moore
21/Sep
Everton 2 (Sharp, Lineker) Liverpool 3 (Dalglish, Rush, McMahon) *Peter
Brackley
28/Sep
Watford 3 (Barnes, Blissett, Terry) Chelsea 1 (Rougvie) *Martin Tyler
05/Oct
Nottingham Forest 3 (Pearce, Bowyer 2) Ipswich Town 1 (Atkins) *Brian
Moore
12/Oct Oxford
United 1 (Hebberd) Luton Town 1 (Stein) *Martin Tyler
19/Oct
Manchester United 1 (McGrath) Liverpool 1 (Johnston) *Peter Brackley
26/Oct
Chelsea 1 (McLaughlin) Manchester United 2 (Olsen, Hughes) *Brian Moore
02/Nov Southampton
1 (Puckett) Tottenham Hotspur 0 *Martin Tyler
09/Nov Watford
1 (Talbot) Aston Villa 1 (Gray) *Peter Brackley
16/Nov Manchester
United 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0 *Brian Moore
23/Nov Coventry
City 0 West Ham United 1 (McAvennie) *Martin Tyler
30/Nov Aston
Villa 1 (Walters) Tottenham Hotspur 2 (Mabbutt, Falco) *Peter Brackley
07/Dec Queens
Park Rangers 0 West Ham United 1 (McAvennie) *Brian Moore
14/Dec Arsenal
2 (Nicholas, Quinn) Liverpool 0 *Martin Tyler
21/Dec Manchester
United 0 Arsenal 1 (Nicholas) *Peter Brackley
28/Dec Chelsea
2 (Dixon, Spackman(pen)) Tottenham Hotspur 0 *Brian Moore
Further known exclusive matches
covered after the blackout had come to an end.....
11/Jan Leicester
City 0 West Ham United 1 (McAvennie) *Martin Tyler
18/Jan Sheffield
Wednesday 2 (Shotton(og), Marwood) Oxford United 1 (Slatter) *Peter
Brackley
01/Feb Ipswich
Town 2 (D'Avray, Wilson) Liverpool 1 (Whelan) *Martin Tyler
08/Feb Chelsea
1 (Bumstead) Oxford United 4 (Rhoades-Brown, Charles, Hebberd, Aldridge)
*Peter
Brackley
01/Mar Southampton
1 (Cockerill) Manchester United 0 *Peter Brackley, played in snow
12/Apr Arsenal
0 Everton 1 (Heath) *Martin Tyler
English clubs who would have qualified for Europe took part in a domestic "Super Cup" and some of these matches were broadcast on the Screensport channel.
*Irish TV began showing matches
from 26/Oct/1985 (with their own commentator).
Note that 21/Apr/1986 West Ham
8 Newcastle 1 was shown as a report on the BBC and Alan Parry added his
commentary several years later.
1986/87
23/Aug Arsenal 1 (Nicholas)
Manchester United 0 *Brian Moore
23/Aug Everton
2 (Sheedy 2) Nottingham Forest 0 *Martin Tyler
30/Aug Nottingham
Forest 1 (Bowyer) Watford 1 (Blissett) *Peter Brackley
30/Aug Manchester
United 0 Charlton Athletic 1 (Stuart) *Martin Tyler
06/Sep West Ham
United 2 (Stewart (pen), Cottee) Liverpool 5 (Whelan, Johnston, Dalgish
(2), Rush) *Brian Moore
13/Sep Wimbledon
1 (Cork) Everton 2 (Sheedy, Sharp) *Martin Tyler
04/Oct
Tottenham Hotspur 0 Luton Town 0 *Peter Brackley, this may have been
included on "The Big Match" shown that night by LWT.
11/Oct Charlton
Atheltic 3 (Melrose 3) Everton 2 (Sheedy 2) *Brian Moore
18/Oct Norwich
City 1 (Drinkell) West Ham United 1 (Goddard) *Peter Brackley
01/Nov Liverpool
6 (Nichol, Walsh 3, Rush 2) Norwich City 2 (Phelan, Hodgson) *Martin
Tyler
08/Nov Coventry
City 1 (Pickering) Nottingham Forest 0 *Martin Tyler
15/Nov Southampton
0 Arsenal 4 (Hayes (pen), Anderson, Quinn, Groves) *Martin Tyler
22/Nov Sheffield
Wednesday 1 (Megson) Luton Town 0 *John Helm
29/Nov Tottenham
Hotspur 2 (C.Allen 2) Nottingham Forest 3 (Pearce (pen), Fairclough, Webb)
*Peter
Brackley
06/Dec Oxford
United 4 (Aldridge 3, Brock) Luton Town 2 (B.Stein, M.Stein) *Brian
Moore
13/Dec Norwich
City 1 (Drinkell) Arsenal 1 (Hayes(pen)) *Martin Tyler
20/Dec Charlton
0 Liverpool 0 *Brian Moore
27/Dec West Ham
United 2 (Cottee, Hilton) Wimbledon 3 (Fashanu, Sayer, Fairweather) *Martin
Tyler
03/Jan Southampton
1 (Holmes) Manchester United 1 (Olsen) *Martin Tyler
24/Jan
Manchester United 2 (Strachan, T.Gibson) Arsenal 0 *Martin Tyler
24/Jan Tottenham
Hotspur 3 (Hodge 2, Claesen) Aston Villa 0 *Peter Brackley
07/Feb Leicester
City 3 (Smith, Ramsey 2) Wimbledon 1 (Fairweather) *Martin Tyler
14/Feb Nottingham
Forest 1 (Birtles(pen)) West Ham 1 (Stewart(pen)) *Brian Moore
14/Mar Everton
3 (Wright(og), Power, Watson) Southampton *Peter Brackley
11/Apr Everton
4 (Clarke, Reid, Srevens, Watson) West Ham United 0 *John Helm
18/Apr Tottenham
Hotspur 1 (C.Allen) Charlton Atheltic 0 *Peter Brackley
25/Apr Liverpool
3 (McMahon, Rush 2) Everton 1 (Sheedy) *Martin Tyler
02/May Coventry
City 1 (Pickering) Liverpool 0 *Peter Brackley
02/May Everton
0 Manchester City 0 *Martin Tyler
09/May West Ham United
2 (Brady, Cottee) Manchester City 0 *Peter Brackley
Presumably broadcast on the Screensport
channel.....
29/Mar Blackburn
Rovers 1 (Hendry) Charlton Athletic 0 [Full Members Cup Final] *Martin
Tyler & David Pleat (with BBC graphics)
1987/88
The 1987/88 editions were also
available to a select band of UK viewers on satellite and cable, broadcast
on Monday nights (usually) on the Screensport channel. The regular slot
was 9:30-11pm with a Friday repeat. Occasionally due to live events it
was Friday only. Jim Rosenthal took over as presenter and Martin Tyler
was paired up with Andy Gray for the first time.
15/Aug Arsenal 1 (Davis)
Liverpool 2 (Aldridge, Nicol) *Brian Moore
22/Aug Queens
Park Rangers 2 (Byrne, McDonald) Arsenal 0
29/Aug Charlton Athletic
1 (Stuart) Manchester United 3 (McClair, Robson, McGrath) *Brian Moore
29/Aug Watford 1 (Porter)
Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Allen(pen)) *Martin Tyler
05/Sep Oxford
United 2 (Slatter, Foyle) Luton Town 5 (B.Stein, Breaker, Nwajiobi, Hill,
Harford) *Brian Moore
12/Sep Wimbledon
1 (Wise) West Ham 1 (Cottee) *Martin Tyler
19/Sep Derby
County 2 (Gregory, Forsyth) Sheffield Wednesday 2 (Megson, Sterland)
*Peter
Brackley
26/Sep Manchester
United 1 (McClair(pen)) Tottenham Hotspur 0 *Brian Moore
03/Oct Chelsea
2 (McCreery(og), Dixon) Newcastle United 2 (Goddard, Wharton) *Martin
Tyler
10/Oct Derby
County 0 Nottingham Forest 1 (Wilkinson) *Peter Brackley
07/Nov Oxford United
1 (Saunders(pen)) Coventry City 0 *Peter Brackley
21/Nov Wimbledon 2
(Fairweather, Scales) Manchester United 1 (Blackmore)
05/Dec Queens
Park Rangers 0 Manchester United 2 (Davenport, Robson) *Peter Brackley
19/Dec Arsenal
1 (Rocastle) Everton 1 (Watson) *Peter Brackley
26/Dec Southampton
2 (Moore, Clarke) Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Fairclough) *Martin Tyler
02/Jan Leicester
City 4 (Brien, Reid, McAllister, Wilkinson) Crystal Palace 4 (Barber, Wright
2, Pennyfather) *Brian Moore
06/Feb Luton
Town 7 (Harford 2, B.Stein, McDonough, M.Stein 3) Oxford United 4 (Saunders(pen),
Foyle, Hill, Phillips) *Peter Brackley
13/Feb West Ham
United 1 (Cottee) Portsmouth 1 (Connor) *Martin Tyler
05/Mar Derby
County 1 (Callaghan(pen)) Charlton Athletic 1 (Reid)
27/Feb Queens
Park Rangers 1 (Byrne) Wimbledon 0 *Brian Moore
26/Mar Newcastle
United 2 (O'Neill 2) Coventry City 2 (Smith, Speedie) *Martin Tyler
02/Apr Chelsea
1 (Hazard) Arsenal 1 (McLoughlin(og)) *Martin Tyler +Simod Cup Final
& Forest v Derby (midweek)
*Clips from some of the above games may have been shown on Saint & Greavsie.
The Match
Live football
on ITV
"English Soccer"
For seasons 1988/89 through to the end of 1991/92
the 'World Wide Soccer' company produced the English Soccer series
which replaced Big League Soccer for export. This would feature
at least one match a week plus all of the goals scored in the top flight.
The vast majority of Saturday games were commentated on by Martin Tyler
(in some territories they were broadcast live). Brian Moore was also a
regular voice between 1988-90 and occasionally later when Tyler had BSB/Sky
commitments. Alan Parry, John Helm, Gerry Harrison and Sky presenter Paul
Dempsey also provided the odd commentary throughout. The programmes used
the same graphics as seen on ITV's First Division goals round-ups and were
the basis for the Official Football League videos that began to appear
in the early 1990's (which do feature a lot of dubbed commentaries from
Martin Tyler, Alan Parry, Clive Tyldesley, Richard Keys and even Jim Rosenthal
and Gerald Sinstadt, sometimes in favour of on-site commentaries by Gerry
Harrison, John Helm and Roger Tames for Anglia, YTV and Tyne Tees).
*'World Wide Soccer' was a company
formed by Chrysalis TV, ITV, CBS Fox and CSI.
ITV football,
1992/93-1996/97
For season 1992/93 the breakaway Premier League
TV rights were snapped up by SKY (live matches) and the BBC (Saturday night
highlights). ITV were left with Divisions 2, 3 & 4 (now to be confusingly
re-numbered as Divisions 1, 2 & 3). In August 1992, live broadcasts
of regional matches from the 2nd tier were introduced to Sunday afternoon
ITV schedules, although some region's football fans were better served
than others - those who had fewer local clubs representing them at 2nd
tier level often had to make do with a film instead. The Premiership clubs
were soon reaping the financial rewards of their exclusive deals with SKY
and now able to satisfy requirements to build all-seater stadium's in the
wake of the Hillsborough disaster. The new seats apparently justified increased
ticket prices at a rate way above inflation which in turn began to attract
a new class of supporter whilst pricing out many fans who had loyally followed
their clubs through football's most troubled decade in the 1980's.
This is an unofficial website that
has no connection with ITV plc
and is strictly non-commercial
for historical research only.
Screen grabs, scans, logos etc.
remain the property of the respective copyright owner.
upthemaggies@hotmail.com
12.10.2023