Why the Beeb needs to pull it's finger out

Watching the final day of Premiership action on final score yesterday I couldn't help pining for good old Jeff Stelling and Sky Sports. I don't much care for the banal nature of the pundits on the BBC sofa and the lack of attention to detail which Jeff provides so admirably. The previous week saw the final raft of fixtures in the football league and all the drama that brings with it, or does it? Well, not on the BBC it doesn't. Gabby Logan has to be one of the most disinterested presenters of a football show I've ever seen. I get the feeling this is just another job for her.

Take the battle to avoid relegation to the Blue Square Premier. While Lincoln were capitulating at home to Aldershot, Barnet were managing to hang on to a 1-0 lead at home to Port Vale. Logan summised that with 5 minutes remaining Lincoln were 'all but relegated'. This simply was not true, a goal for Port Vale would have changed everything, instead of which we were treated to Steve Claridge babbling on about QPR who had already had quite a lot of coverage that day. Even worse, as the penultimate games affecting the bottom of the Scottish Premier League entered the last 15 minutes there was absolutely no mention of the consequences of Hamiltons' and St. Mirrens' results which saw Hamilton relegated.



The 'Dream Team'

I only have Freeview but I'm pretty sure Jeff had his finger on the pulse over on Soccer Saturday. With Jeff I almost feel like he is rooting for my team, Oldham. I'm sure other fans feel the same way. He is always interested in every result, the little nuances and has the facts at his fingertips, and rarely forgets which team is playing at home, unlike Gabby who frequently comes out with slips like 'There's been a goal at the Stadium of Light!!' in that high-pitched shrill, when in fact Sunderland had just scored at Bolton. Now, I'm not one of those people who don't want women involved in football (I even think one day we will see women players in the professional game), but Logan clearly is a big-league Charlie (Charly?) who couldn't care less what's going on at Gigg Lane or Sincil Bank.

I think they should give the job permanently to either Mark Chapman or Lizzie Greenwood, they seem to have an enthusiasm for the game sadly lacking at the moment. To further dismay, Garth Crooks (the only man who never asks questions when interviewing!) is an ever-present on the sofa of dirge. He's the annoying guy in the pub you avoid like a dose of syphallis, clearly a candidate for ADD and adding nothing of value to any analysis.

We'd all be feeling good if SS came back to Freeview

So, on Sunday we learned that it would be Blackpool and Birmingham joining West Ham in the Championship. One of the most exciting relegation battles of recent years came to a conclusion, and the Premiership has lost 'breath of fresh air' Blackpool and the always entertaining Ian Holloway. His quote about members of the FA beaming down from 'Planet Zarf' a particular highlight. Football needs the characters, the people with passion who care and are prepared to say what they think. Speaking of which...