Thursday 22 August 2024

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A u g u s t  1 9 6 4

This is a blog of two halves !
If you saw the football on the BBC last weekend you won't be surprised to learn that today marks 60 years since the very first 'Match of the Day'.
The opening game of the 1964-65 season involving Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on Saturday 22 August, was shown as the first highlights show introduced by Kenneth Wolstenholme. All eleven First Division matches kicked-off at 3pm that day.

Coincidentally the same Saturday in 1964 saw the first semi-professional game for Wimbledon Football Club. The Mighty Dons playing out a 0-0 draw with Poole Town, kick-off 3 o'clock at Plough Lane.
Found a really excellent History Site: click here you Dons.
+ Here's the centre spread of the day's programme with the Team Sheet. Note: the advert bottom right for Mr. Hales Sport Shop in Kingston Road. In the other corner something called Watney's Red Barrel.


So "Home for Tea and Match of the Day, which was on TV at 6:30." Or, more accurately it would have been if we had BBC2 - which we didn't ! (To view the new BBC2 channel's 625 lines picture required a new television and aerial - my home had neither.)
A lot of us had to wait two years for 'MOTD' to move to BBC1 in the August of 1966.
Who remembers the original theme - ‘Drum Majorette’ by Major Leslie Stratham a former Welsh Guard. Take it away Major >

The famous 'MOTD' theme, we all know, didn't appear until August 1970. A year after 'Slow-motion' replays were introduced.
Interestingly the next weekend's fixtures on 29th August was my first ever match at Stamford Bridge. 

See tomorrow's Music Spot for more Football Folk >>>

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