The final episode of Football Focus was broadcast on Sunday, bringing to an end 52 years on the air.
It was an emotional episode as long-time pundit Garth Crooks returned to Focus, sitting alongside Alex Scott to reflect on the show’s past and preview the final day of the Premier League season.
Bob Wilson, the show’s first presenter, closed out the programme by saying: “All good things come to an end. Thank you to all of you at home for watching Football Focus for the last 52 years. We have had a ball.”
Launched in 1974, Football Focus provided fans with interviews, analysis and stories from across the game every lunchtime before the weekend’s fixtures begin.
The longest-running magazine show in the world began with a tribute to the programme, with its former presenters sharing their favourite memories from across the decades.
The programme’s old branding was used throughout in a nod to its history.
Crooks ended the show by presenting Scott with a picture of herself and Bob Wilson, on behalf of the “Football Focus family”.
Before handing over to Wilson, an emotional Scott said: “For 52 years, this show has done one thing. Week in, week out, it has brought football into your Saturday afternoons. Whether it was Bob Wilson or any of the brilliant people who sat in this chair after him, the thing that never changed was you – the fans.
“I won’t pretend this isn’t hard. What I know is, the football doesn’t stop, the stories don’t stop. The goals, the drama, the heartbreak, the magic, none of that stops. It just finds a new home.
“From everyone who has ever worked on Football Focus, thank you. Thank you for making Saturday lunchtime something to look forward to. It has been an honour.”
From impressionists to Tom Jones – Football Focus memories
Hosts, commentators and pundits who have been involved with Football Focus over the years shared their favourite memories of the show:
Bob Wilson: “I do remember the day when I got my words a little mixed up. You’re doing it off the top of the head. I was supposed to say that we had just heard that Joe Jordan had passed a late fitness test and instead I looked at the camera and said ‘we have just heard that Joe Jordan has just pissed a late fatness test’.
“After my footballing career I never really thought I would get to spend the amount of time bringing to people the stories of the week, the latest news, the latest great players. There was so much involved in it and incredible memories from day one to the very last day.”
Ray Stubbs: “Lawro had to miss a programme because he was ill. Someone, probably me, decided it would be a good idea to ask the actor and impressionist Alistair McGowan to appear in character. He arrived, did Lawro for the last 15 minutes of the programme and was absolutely terrific.
“The moment the programme ended the phone goes and it is Motty. He gave his regular critique of the programme immediately: ‘Lawro was talking nonsense, and I tell you what, he doesn’t look well’.”
Dan Walker: “The one programme that really stands out for me was our programme we did in Afghanistan. I love that we dreamed big – can we take the show to Camp Bastion and do it from there? And we did.
“I will always look back on that as one of the best things I’ve been involved in.
“Part of the magic of the show has always been the title because that’s what we did. We looked back, we looked forward, we talked about what had happened, we talked about the future and tried simply to focus on the football.”
Mark Lawrenson: “We had this thing where we’d have a beer after the programme, only one. This guy was approaching us, it was Tom Jones.
“As we got towards him he went ‘hello boys, how are you doing’. We went ‘all right’. He said ‘how did Swansea go on?’. I said ‘they got beat 2-1’.
“He said ‘it’s not unusual’.”
Alex Scott: “It has been a huge part of my life from being a young girl and growing up and watching it on a Saturday to the first time I ever sat alongside Dan Walker eight years ago, to then sitting in that chair which has been such a privilege to laugh, cry. There are so many memories I will cherish forever and never forget.”
Manish Bhasin: “My favourite memory includes having Sven Goran Eriksson in the studio shortly after England had suffered a shock defeat by Northern Ireland. We also had Lawrie Sanchez as the Northern Ireland head coach. Sven didn’t know that so when he arrived and saw him he took me to one side and said ‘Manish…'”
Martin Keown: “It is sad. I remember those days coming out of the game and didn’t have those journalistic skills [at first]. We cared so much about the programme.
“I know Alex has been excellent on it. It was a programme that got under the skin of the football world. You would suddenly be a young lad who wanted to be a professional footballer, what can I see behind the scenes – anything insightful to make me think what they do behind the scenes? The players just seem so normal.
“I thank Football Focus for that insight and it was a groundbreaking programme.”
Guy Mowbray: “I’ve been watching the programme my entire life. I’ve been really fortunate enough to be part of it for nearly half of my life. I think my own special memory would be four and half years ago, out on the touchline at the Hawthorns, channeling my own inner Motty [in the snow].”