Thetownend.com

So, having watched the Football League Show and being distinctly unimpressed by the whole thing for the umpteenth time, I've realised the BBC are consulting with the public about their news/sport coverage.

Click here to take part in the survey: http://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/bbc/news_review

I think the essential problem with the FL show is it's too bloody big. It needs to be cut down into the constituent leagues and given people who know, and give a fuck about, what they're talking about- i.e. lower league experts, which at the BBC, is a category that pretty much only exists in local radio stations. It's not that the presenters are shit (jury's out on that one for me), it's more that it's physically and mentally impossible to watch all those games, talk about all those teams, and have a good knowledge of it so you can actually make insightful comments rather than 'Oh X are doing well, they're 3rd in the table, but Y aren't doing well, they're 19th and they would want to be higher.'

However, what with Lawro still earning stupid money for essentially saying that every week, it's obvious those in charge of football at the BBC have no real concept of what makes a good presenter/expert.

It's not perfect by any means, but better than the previous offering, which was nothing.

I only use it to watch the league one goals anyway. Ffwd about 40 mins of the sky recording and away you go.

This.

The program is fine, goals and highlights with minimal chat.

It's a lot more watchable than MOTD where you have to put up with 30 mins of dreadfull chatter every show.

My only problem with it is that they don't bother showing it on International weeks... as if it isn't worth it when the Championship don't play. Oh, and Steve Claridge. He's an idiot.

I haven't seen Claridge on it for ages. It seems to be Leroy Rosenior, who isn't the best, or the worst person. I fast forward the chat on these programmes anyway.

Wrong channel I know, but bring back the west match and soccer Sunday, with Roger Malone

Yep

Don't get the Claridge hate. He knows his stuff, and he's been pretty complimentary recently, even when he has criticised, taking the blinkers off, he normally has a fair point to make.

Claridge isn't great, but at least we don't have to suffer the "long haired Welsh FuckNugget (I nicked that one)" so it could be worse

I only watch the STFC goal(s), most of the others are repeated continuously on SSN over the weekend.

(and of course any Aden Flint fuck ups or other ex players)

Word

The fucker sits on the fence though.

Claridge is an appalling pundit - his play was fashioned under John Beck and it seems so were many of his opinions. He's years behind and utter ineloquent.

I think of all pundits being a bit like people who write the horoscopes: fling a load of generic football related wording together with actual player names, along with the odd compliment and 9/10 times, it'll sound like they know what's what.

The Scheduling of the the show and its content needs rethinking. Sky now show all the league goals before the bbc programme airs, so its no longer the first way to see them all. I think they should move it to a Sunday morning slot and have more guests and discussion about the games to give a little insight that isn't offered when watching the league highlights on sky.

But more guests and discussion would surely just make the show even longer?? It's hard to please everyone with so many games to show, but have to agree that the time slot it's in makes it very unappealing - I only ever watch on iPlayer these days.