Tim Lovejoy's World Of Banter

Why I Love The Beautiful Game # 7 – Monday Night Football

Monday Night FootballIf there’s one thing football needed more of in the dark days before Sky it was more football. Especially on telly.

Our beloved Beautiful Game was woefully under-represented in those dark, dark days with just Saint and Greavsie and that advert with the Scouse lads drinking milk to tide over those that, like me, really do love football.

Like every football fan, I remember exactly where I was the first time Sky unveiled Monday Night Sofa: on a sofa.

I can’t remember where I was exactly, but I’m pretty sure Man City were welcoming the Sky cameras to the Etihad stadium – and with the cheerleaders and fireworks that Sky brought to proceedings there was a real sense of occasion about the happenings occurring in front of the camera and on all of our screens.

I can’t remember who the oppo was, one of those flash in the pan teams that comes up every now again like Nottingham Forest or Middlesbrough I think, but it didn’t matter. Monday Night Football was here. Football on a Monday Night was here. And our lives would never be the same again.

Back then it was sponsored by Ford, who make some of the best Mondeos I’ve ever driven, to be fair.

That night I got hold of a mate of a mate who had Andy Gray’s number and left him a message on his answerphone saying the programme name should be changed to Mondeo Night Football, but he must not have got it as I never heard back from him. Remember those old answering machines with tapes in? Rubbish!

The brilliant thing about MNF, as any true fan knows it, was that it was bringing football to a whole new part of the week. It’s a bit like my show on Friday nights on 5 Live with Colin Murray called Sports Express on at 9.30 on Friday night and also available on iPlayer, which I know for a fact that Andy Gray listens to sometimes. How the tables have turned.

When Sky brought MNF back last season it was like the return of the proverbial sun. Keysy and Gray-y may no longer be driving the ship, but when you’ve got a format as strong as football on a Monday night, it’s not hard to see why it’s easily one of the best good shows on the telly. One thing’s for sure: it’s excellent.

Bringing in a giant iPad was a great idea. It’s a nod the sort of new-fangled gadgeteritos that all football fans and young people love. And of course – there’s the football.

I for one personally can’t wait to settle down next Monday with the lads, a four pack of Carling’s and a pack of Nobby’s Nuts from the complimentary box they sent me (cheers Nobby!). The banter will be brilliant and then for dessert we’ll tuck into some delicious goals, analysis, and sport.

Now that’s football!

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