Match of the Day was *a little* different to usual on Saturday night, as the ever-eagle-eyed users of Twitter noticed.
Thanks to the footballing world’s touching re-enactment of the ending of Spartacus with Gary Lineker in the titular role, the show was to go ahead without any presenters, pundits, commentators or interviews with players and managers.
Given that, many wondered just how long it would last with nothing but highlights of the matches, and the answer was: not very.
Match of the Day will run for 20 minutes tonight. pic.twitter.com/YIuoCFVbvP
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 11, 2023
It looked like even the team that run the opening credits joined the boycott, meaning the episode was devoid of its iconic theme song, which felt wrong. So very wrong.
Even the Match of the Day theme tune boycotted the show in solidarity with Gary Lineker #MOTD
— Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) March 11, 2023
This is getting ridiculous. Just had an email from the Match Of The Day producer asking if I “own a trumpet and know the theme tune”.
— Tom Craine (@TomCraine) March 11, 2023
However, it quickly became clear that getting rid of the theme song was a good call because playing it in this imitation of Match of the Day – not even worthy of that name with the introductory graphic simply reading “Premier League Highlights” – would have felt as appropriate as playing it in a particularly bleak hospital ward.
Commentators get a lot of stick, but as it turns out, they’re actually a bit important in terms of both entertainment and information when it comes to TV coverage. Who would’ve thought?
Genuinely giving me PTSD flashbacks from my year as an actual football writer, this. When I actually had to try and understand what was going on without someone who actually knew what they were talking about talking over the top of it. #MOTD
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) March 11, 2023
A piece about the strangest Match of the Day ever.
These were football highlights as ambient music, a bit like those compilations of white noise you get on Spotify. If nothing else, it’s proof that we do actually need commentators. https://t.co/xiM4cceh3G
— Nick Miller (@NickMiller79) March 12, 2023
While pretty much anybody not completely deranged missed commentary of the highlights though, opinions weren’t as universal on the lack of punditry.
Oh yeah it wasn’t perfect at all. But there’s some leagues where I don’t care about interviews/analysis, but I will happily watch goals flying in.
— Michael Cox…
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