The Daily Telegraph from London, Greater London, England • 98

sport.telegraph.co.uk Saturday, August 14, 2004 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH KICKOFF2004-05 Match of the Day returns in a game of two halves Sarah Edworthy talks to West Brom-mad Adrian Chiles about the new Sunday fixture on BBC2 MATCH of the Day celebrates its 40th birthday next week. The milestone comes not with a midlife crisis (that was wrestled with in 2001 when ITV took up its three-year contract to broadcast Premiership highlights), but with a taking of stock and an enthusiastic reappraisal of the football landscape. As of this weekend, BBC1's late Saturday night MOTD (Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and Co) will be complemented by MOTD2, Sunday at 10pm, on BBC2, presented Adrian Chiles affectionately known to Five Live listeners as "he of the West Bromwich Albion obsession" (cue, rolled eyeballs and a wry smile) with Gordon Strachan and Tony Adams. It will not escape some that MOTD2 will fill the programming slot once held for Federal Agent Jack Bauer in the unmissable thriller 24, which opened each Sunday night with the words "Previously on 24..." Chiles and his team have that sort of continuity ready-made, in that these days Saturday's football is only half the picture, and they aim to produce a show of similar appeal. "It's the same production team, the same pool of talent, slightly skewed towards BBC2," Chiles says over a coffee in BBC TV Centre.

"On BBC1 they play with a straighter highlights, analysis, and to get that together after the Saturday games is a job in 'All I've got going for me as a presenter is that I'm a fan and I have suffered' itself. Because we're BBC2, and earlier in the evening, we can take a wider view. The meat of it will be extended highlights of the Sunday games, but we can round up the knock-on effects of the Saturday games, run features we've worked on earlier or something prompted by a game on Saturday. We're striving to emulate Top Gear a programme that is very entertaining and watched by people not necessarily interested in cars." Managers who have had a significant weekend will be invited to be more reflective than the usual quick quotes in the tunnel. "We've got Gary Megson, for example, which is probably unfortunate in that people will think I'm going to blather on about the Albion all season, but the second Sunday is the potentially difficult situation we've got the Of course one man's Albion is another's United, City, Town, Rangers, Rovers, Wanderers or (whisper it) Villa.

As Chiles says: "All I've got going for me as a presenter is I'm a fan and I've suffered. In that respect I know what it is to be a fan in a way that an ex-player or manager can't how bloody tortured you are by the business, although obviously I can't be seen despairing if we're still looking for our first point come which isn't going to happen incidentally." As he knows from conducting Five Live phone-ins, any single incident on the pitch will prompt views. He is notably skilled in maintaining the balance between taking the game seriously and having fun with it. "It's very important to me, but WATCHING BRIEF BBC 'The Championship', Premiership 10.30am. Highlights.

'Match of the Day', Saturdays, Regional league 10.30-12pm, BBC 1. Repeated Thursday nights, Sunday mornings. 'Match of the Day 2', Sundays, Sky Sports 10.30-11.15pm, BBC2. Barclays Premiership Premiership and 88 Live Games on Coca-Cola Ch'ship 1 50 live games 'Football Focus', Saturdays, Premiership Plus. 12.10-1pm.

'Football First', 'Final Score', Saturdays, 4.30pm. 8.30pm. Best game FA Cup repeated in full. From Three live games from viewers can digital Third Fourth Fifth and Sixth minute highlights Rounds. One semi-final and final.

day's games via the International Football 'Ford Monday Night All England home games, including on Monday's without friendly against Ukraine. Coca-Cola Ch'ship UEFA Cup 60 live games plus Midweek live matches. 'Football League Sundays, 7pm. ITV Sport Premiership and Champions League 'Soccer am', Saturdays, Live matches on ITV 1 and ITV2 9am-12pm. every Tuesday during the 'Goal Rush', Saturdays, group stages.

'Goals on Sunday', Highlights on Tuesday evenings. 'Jimmy Hill's Sunday European Super Cup Final 9am, repeated 12pm. Porto Valencia, ITV1, Friday 27th Champions League August, 7.30pm. Six games every Coca-Cola Ch'ship games every Class act Mourinho can make impact of the highest kind PICTURE: BBC 88 494 BBC DRI I can still see it doesn't amount to of appraisal of the beans. There's a lot of fun to be I Despu (The Day astring want to tap into that." Spain's most If Adams and Strachan provide perspective disparaged from experience, and wit seen a list of in these pages as Gordon's kick-in-the-bollocks rejoinders to He would approve journalists," marvels Chiles), the presenter approach.

Firstly, himself is fascinated by the human side of language that the profession. "People say footballers are secondly, in not stupid, which I just don't think is true. OK, explanations about they might not academic but they've got to As Chiles have such emotional resilience," argues. Todd to tell "For the Albion, I did the end-of-season that most parade after we'd won promotion. I went in said and it's just the team bus to the hall.

There were players understood, 15,000 people there. These were all Albion ers, that when a fans, they were on my side, but I was terri- have to give him fied. I was supposed to introduce the players and someone has but I couldn't remember half their names which creates a when it came to it. I said to the manager, 'I'm into that space frightened to death here', and he said, 'Well, elementary, but imagine what it's like when this lot turn most players against you'. hope have the "Imagine when you're brought on as a sub- "I want to get stitute and everybody boos because it's you the game in a that's being brought on and you've got to play of course you the game." line or you'd be Last season Michael Robinson whose programme." football on TV PICTURE: BBC NE Front men: The BBC's Match of the Day team of Mark Lawrenson (left), Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and I Peter Schmeichel SKY SPORTS BARCLAYS Watch every Barclays Premiership goal first.

Get a video mobile on 3 and see todays match highlights from 5.15 pm. All other matches shown 5 minutes after full-time. Unlimited football content for £5 a month. Handset dependent. 6 month minimum term.

See three.co.uk for details. As the Premiership campaign gets underway, we can rely on certain figures to hog the headlines JOSE MOURINHO The Chelsea manager is a class act. even if he was out of town when modesty was handed round. Mourinho is set to make the sort of impact on the Premiership that Wenger has there can be no higher praise. SIR BOBBY ROBSON Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd scored an -goal when he said this would be Robson's last season in charge.

A bad run would put added pressure on the manager, who deserves better. knapp (above) will no doubt find a way to make the most of what he has while locking horns with chairman Milan Mandaric. HARRY REDKNAPP Down to the bare bones even before the kick-off "only nine players could train last Monday" but Red- JOSE ANTONIO REYES The Spaniard has looked sensational in ason for Arsenal and if he continues this progress, Reyes will form with Henry a strike-partnership second to none. As if being multi-talented isn't enough. Reyes is good looking, too.

GIANNAKOPOULOS The only member of Greece's victorious Euro 2004 squad to play in the Premiership this season, Stelios has more to live up to after his country's surprise success. Expect the win over Portugal to be mentioned in every interview with the Bolton forward. ROBBIE SAVAGE INCREDIBLY. Robbie Savage has never been sent-off. The Birmingham midfielder received 12 yellow cards last season.

Could finally be the season when the battling Blue sees red? Wayne's world: Transfer rumours will keep the Everton striker in the spotlight despite injury STEVEN GERRARD With Roy Keane not quite the force, he was, the Liverpool captain could emerge emulate Patrick Vieira as the finest all-round midfielder in the Premiership. Gerrard (above), who would be captain of England under most managers, should be among the favourites for Footballer of the Year. ROMAN ABRAMOVICH Will the Russian, who singlehandedly created two transfer markets one for Chelsea and one for everyone else. finally give an interview and tell us in his words exactly why he became involved in English football? GORDON STRACHAN The Scot will be linked with every club that gets off to a bad start or under-achieves. The Premiership needs one of the most passionate managers in the game.

WAYNE ROONEY Anchor role: MOTD2's Adrian Chiles is skilled at taking the game seriously but still having fun with it Guide to Sundays, football 11.30pm. Sky Sports on Saturday evenings, of the day 10.15pm, access 50- from all the red button. Live', Debate a live game. play-offs. Review', Ch'ship 3pm.

10am. Supplement', Tuesday, eight Wednesday during weekend's football. After) makes him popular television English football programmes "kidnapped by the of elements in the in being careful not can be quite exclusive, being afraid to ask play. relates: "I once asked something about the supporters don't understand. a little thing I wish let alone most player makes a run you the ball.

He comes over to follow him to mark space and someone can and go. That might if Colin Todd was telling aren't clear on that, then watching public got? at that so people can more informed can't go too far down a bloody Open the group stages. Two quarterfinals, one semi-final and the FA Cup One live game every round, including the final. Carling Cup Two live games from each Final exclusively live. International Football England Word Cup qualifiers against Austria (Sept 4), (Sept 8) and Azerbaijan (Oct All the home competitive internationals for Republic Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Tenants Scottish Cup Eight live matches from the Round onwards, including Conference football 13 live games plus play-off Spanish League Two games every weekend. Channel Five UEFA Cup Midweek live coverage through the rounds, 'John Barnes' Football Night', Thursday evenings. Argentinian, Dutch and US Major League Soccer Thursday evenings. El Da one of presenters MOTD2 to use and for Colin game He most supportdon't here him, run sound me what watch although that University final. round.

Poland 13). of Third the final. final. The euphoria of his four goals in Portugal has been overshadowed by injury and rumours that he will leave Everton. The best players usually play for the best teams and a fit Rooney (pictured) will no doubt fuel more transfer speculation.

ALE KEJIAN.