Football on 5

Football on 5
Also known as	Football on Five
Presented by	Brough Scott(1997) Steve Scott(1997–2003) John Barnes(2003–2006) Colin Murray(2006–2010) Jim Rosenthal(2010–2012) George Riley(2015–2017) Kelly Cates(2015–2016) Lynsey Hipgrave(2016-2017) Colin Murray(2017-2018)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original release
Network	Channel 5
Release	May 1997(1997-05)– July 2012(2012-07)
Release	8 August 2015(2015-08-08)– 6 May 2018(2018-05-06)

Football on 5is the principal football programme onChannel 5in the UK. The show first ran from May 1997 until July 2012. The show returned in August 2015 under the nameFootball League Tonight.For the 2016–17 Football League season theFootball on 5name was revived with the highlights show now calledFootball on 5: The ChampionshipandFootball on 5: Goal Rushbeing broadcast from 9pm-10.30pm on a Saturday with a repeat on Sunday morning. The show itself was initially sponsored byWilkinson Sword,and would eventually be sponsored by Soccernet,PeugeotandSEAT,among others.

First match

Channel 5's first livefootballmatch was in May 1997, shortly after the channel launched. It was a 1998 World Cup qualifying match betweenPolandandEnglandin Chorzów.

International football

From 1997 to 2007, Channel 5 showed many away qualifying matches involving the home nations.Englandwere shown playing inPoland(twice),Luxembourg,BulgariaandAlbania.In fact, the first game against Poland brought in the highest number of viewers the channel has ever seen to date. This was the high point of Football on 5's early coverage as they showed all the qualifying campaign for Euro 2000 for England but these qualifying matches have since transferred to theBBCandSky Sportsfrom 2001 to 2008 andITVsince 2008.

They also showedScotlandgames which included their crucial final qualifier for1998 FIFA World Cupat home toLatvia,plus trips toLithuania,Faroe Islands,Czech Republic,Bosnia-Herzegovina,Estonia,Latvia,San Marino,CroatiaandBelgium.They also showed the second leg of their Euro 2004 play-off with the Netherlands. These qualification matches are now on Sky Sports.

Many Ireland away matches were shown in qualification for the 2002 World Cup, these included the away matches againstthe Netherlands,Portugal,Cyprus,Andorra,andEstonia.This stopped in 2002, but was resumed with Ireland's away match in Israel in 2005. They showed the second leg of their Euro 2004 play-off with the Netherlands. These matches are now on Sky Sports.

Wales' Euro 2000 qualifiers away to Italy and Bulgaria were and they showed the first Wales football match at the Millennium Stadium against Brazil in 2000. They also covered a Northern Ireland's match in Moldova which was their only match on the network. These matches are now on Sky Sports.

Channel 5 won the terrestrial UK rights for theFIFA Confederations Cupin 2001, 2003 and 2005, showing a selection of matches including each final. Channel 5's coverage of theFIFA Confederations Cupended after the 2005 tournament, asBBC Sportwon the rights and covered the event onBBC Red ButtonorBBC Three.

Scottish football

Between 2002 and 2004, they showed live matches from theScottish League Cup,including the two finals; Rangers v Celtic in 2003 and Livingston v Hibs in 2004. Channel 5 usually showed one match per round usually on Thursday nights keeping with the tradition of UEFA Cup matches. Steve Scott was still the host at this time and Jonathan Pearce commentated. These matches have since transferred to BBC Scotland who usually show a match per round and the final.

Italian football

For the 2007–08 season, Channel 5 won the rights to broadcast a live Serie A game on Sunday afternoons, presented by Radio 1 DJMark ChapmanandLaura Esposto.Games were also shown on sister channel Fiver and a highlights show was broadcast on Saturday afterwards, namedFootball Italiano.Channel 5 announced in July 2008 that they would not be continuing to cover Italian football for the 2008–09 season. These rights have since transferred to ESPN UK and BT Sport.

Chapman maintained a relationship with Channel 5 when he hosted aUEFA Cupmatch in 2008 betweenPortsmouthandMilanand deputised forColin Murraywhenever he was unavailable. His ties ended when, in 2009, Chapman presented Match of the Day for the first time (with ex-Northern Ireland managerLawrie SanchezandMartin Keown) in a friendly International between Northern Ireland and Italy in Pisa, which Italy won 3–0. He has since been seen deputising onFinal Scoreon the BBC wheneverGabby Loganhas been unavailable or due to her covering other sports.

Friendly matches

Channel 5 covered pre-season friendly games and have done since 1998. Two games from Liverpool's pre season tour were shown in July 2008 with Channel 5's UEFA Europa League at the helm. Occasional charity games, such as those featuring a team of England Legends, were shown on Channel 5. They showed The Carlberg Belfast Challenge in 1998, which Liverpool were in, The Gelderland Tournament the same year with Chelsea and Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial and anything else they could grab in the early days.

European club football

The backbone of Channel 5's football coverage consisted ofUEFA Europa Leaguematches, which it had shown throughout its existence, and The UEFA Cup. This was Channel 5's longest running football commitment showing matches from this every season since 1997–98 starting with Arsenal back in 1997 until the end of the 2011–12 season. They showed Aston Villa and Rangers a lot in the early days but would only cover the tournament to a point as BBC or ITV would usually have the rights from the quarter-finals onwards. Usually Channel 5 showed matches on an ad hoc basis covering sometimes three games in a day from early afternoon to late evening if there were many British clubs playing. For the three seasons starting in 2009–10 season, Channel 5 was the UK's lead network for Europa League coverage, winning rights to first choice matches in every round and exclusive coverage of the final. They previously held second choice matches and had no final coverage. Matches not covered by Channel 5 were shown onITV4orESPN UK.When they became the main broadcaster they just picked one match usually at 8pm on a Thursday night.

Channel 5 showed three Europa League Finals as first choice broadcaster, before losing the rights to ITV Sport;

• 2010:Fulham 1–2 Atlético Madrid
• 2011:Porto 1–0 Braga
• 2012:Atlético Madrid 3–0 Athletic Bilbao

In the early days, Channel 5 had matches involvingChelseaandNewcastle Unitedin the last two seasons of the now-defunctUEFA Cup Winners' Cup.They showed the Cup Winners' Cup in the early days of Channel 5, they showed virtually every Chelsea match in 1997–98 and 1998–99 and also Newcastle when they were in it in 1998

At the start of the 21st century, Channel 5 would occasionally cover Champions League qualifiers involving British teams. They showed qualifiers of Newcastle in 1997, Liverpool in 2001 and 2004 and Manchester United in 2005.

Channel 5 also occasionally covered theUEFA Intertoto Cupduring its existence, including Aston Villa in 2000 and Newcastle in 2001.

They showed the FIFA World Club Cup in 2008, which Manchester United won, with commentary by Dave Woods and Stan Collymore with the usual UEFA Cup team presenting.

End of Football on 5 (2012)

Football on Five was Channel 5's longest-running non-news programme, airing from 1997 to 2012. However, Channel 5 lost the contract for the Europa League toITV Sport.Channel 5's last live Europa League Match was thefinalbetween Atletico Madrid and Atletico Bilbao in May 2012 and their last live match was in July 2012 when they had pre-season friendly coverage between Southampton and Ajax on 28 July (Jim Rosenthal presented alongsideKen Monkou,with Dave Woods and Stewart Robson commentating and Dave Beckett reporting).

Revival (2015-2018)

Football on 5 had been off air for three years when in May 2015 Channel 5 won the rights to broadcastFootball Leaguehighlights from the 2015–16 in a three-year deal, in a new programme calledFootball League Tonight,taking the coverage away from the BBC after six seasons. The highlights show is broadcast at 9pm, typically an hour and a half beforeMatch of the Dayis broadcast onBBC One,much earlier than when theBBCused to showThe Football League Showwhich followedMatch of the Dayand usually started at 11:45pm. The promise of a mid-evening broadcast slot was believed to have been the tide turner, also in the contract were the highlights of theFootball League Trophy.Channel 5 revived theFootball on 5banner, prefi xing theFootball League Tonightname. The format of the show changed midway through the 2015–16 season and split into two segments, calledFootball on 5: The ChampionshipandFootball on 5: Goal Rush.Together, they are broadcast from 9pm to 10:30pm on a Saturday, with a repeat on Sunday morning.

The show was presented by George Riley andKelly Catesfor its maiden season,followed by George Riley and Lindsay Hipgrave for the 2nd season and Colin Murray from 2017 to 2018 season, Colin previously presented all of Channel 5 UEFA Cup, Europa League and other football coverage from 2006 to 2010 leaving to join the BBC and host Match of the Day 2.

Questacquired the rights after the end of the 2017/18 season, signing a four-year contract, ending the run of three years for Channel 5.

Presenters

Channel 5's football coverage has had a number of presenters over the years. Brough Scott famously presented their first big match - famously remembered due to the sports bar set-up and the inclusion of fellow Channel 5 personalities, including the cast ofFamily Affairs.After that it was Jeremy Nicholas for a short period untilITV NewspresenterSteve Scott,brother ofITV SportanchorAngus Scotttook over as host until 2004, when he was replaced byJohn Barnes.In 2006, Barnes moved to a roving reporter and co-commentator role. Whenever Barnes was unavailable when he was the host Sky's NFL presenter Nick Halling would deputise.

BBC Radio 1DJ and football enthusiastColin Murraytook over the reins as he already appeared on Channel 5 hosting live NFL. In 2007, his Radio 1 colleague Mark Chapman joined Channel 5 to cover Italian football alongsideLaura Esposto.In 2010, Colin Murray left Channel 5 after the final of the Europa League in whichFulhamwere beaten 2–1 byAtlético Madrid,to become a full-time host withBBC Sportto host Match of the Day 2 and BDO Darts. Mark Chapman only appeared once more on Channel 5 after the end of Football Italiano covering for Colin Murray and with Laura Esposito now presenting in Italy, Channel 5 needed a new host andJim Rosenthalwas appointed to host live Europa League matches, hosting a live match every round up to the final from 2010 to 2012. Kelly Cates and George Riley from BBC Radio 5 Live have joined the show as the new presenters for the new Football League Highlights Show. Kelly Cates has worked for ESPN UK, ITV Sport, Talksport and BBC Radio 5 Live covering football from Premier League to the World Cup. George Riley has presented Rugby League and reported and commentated on football, snooker and darts for BBC Sport and BBC Radio 5 Live.

Commentators

Channel 5's first main commentator wasCapital GoldandBBC Radio 5 LivemanJonathan Pearce.Pearce hosted an array of football from UEFA Cup, Confederations Cup, Internationals to Scottish Football. Pearce left in Summer 2004 to join theMatch of the Dayteam.John Helmwas then the main commentator and filled the role left by Pearce, with other commentaries coming fromGary Bloom,Tony JonesandJon Champion.In 2007Dave Woodsand commentated on nearly every UEFA Cup and Europa League match from 2007 to 2012, when he was unavailable Steve Bower deputised. Paul Walker is the main commentator for Football League & League Cup highlights although Sky Sports Football League Commentators are used as well on matches that were previously shown live on Sky.Dave Farrarhas also commentated, mostly in theEFL Cup.

Pundits

Channel 5's regular pundits consisted ofPat Nevinwho, from 2009, moved to pitchside before games and in the OB truck at half and full-time;Phil Thompson,who commentated on the first ever Football on 5 match between Poland and England with Jonathan Pearce;Stan Collymorewho replacedJohn Barnesfrom 2010 to 2012 and was in the studio alongside Jim Rosenthal, andGraham Taylorwho is the principal co-commentator. When needed, guests are used as pundits such asKevin Ratcliffe.Channel 5 has also used other pundits and commentators when needed, such asRay Houghton,Terry Butcher,Joe Royle,Phil Babb,Stewart RobsonandJohn Scales.

Uniquely, John Barnes has appeared in every major role for the show: firstly, he hosted the programme then, when Murray was appointed host, Barnes appeared as a co-commentator. He also appeared as a pitchside analyst speaking to resident reporterDave Beckett,giving his thoughts on the action during the match, at half time and at full-time, and conducting post-match interviews. Barnes left after he became manager ofTranmere Roversand was replaced by Collymore. He was sacked as manager after a poor run of results, but has never returned to Channel 5 but has since appeared onESPN UKas a pundit. Channel 5 use a variety of pundits for Football League & League Cup programming howeverAlan Curbishley,Chris Iwelumo,Clinton Morrison,Michael GrayandAdam Virgoall feature regularly. More pundits have includedKevin Davies,David JamesandFrancis Benali.As for co-commentators, recently the likes ofNigel Spackman,Phil Brown,Owen Hargreaves(co-commentator and pundit) andJohn Hartsonhave appeared on their League Cup coverage.

Reporters

Football League coverage on Channel 5 has numerous reporters at each game.Tom Skippingsis the main reporter for most programmes. Two other notable reporters areNick HallingandSue Thearle- both taken from the BBC. Jack Woodward, Dan Mason, Dave Beckett and John Anderson all also feature semi-regularly. For the 2016/17 season, Channel 5 used 22 reporters during the course of the season, as well as those mentioned. Oliver Wilson, Will Cope,Dan O'Hagan,Alex Gordon-Martin, Faye Carruthers, Chris Maughan, Mick Conway, Jonathan Beck, Steve Lee,Andy Hodgson,Jonathan Legard,Simon Watts, Callum Williams, Chris Wise and Tony Colliver have all appeared during the 2016/17 season.

External links

• Football on 5atChannel5