Football Focus

Football Focus
Also known asFootball
GenreSport
Presented byDan Walker (2009–2021)
Alex Scott (2021–present)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Production locations
Running time30–60 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC One
Release1974 (1974)
Related

Football Focus (known as Football between 1988 and 1992) is a BBC television magazine programme launched in 1974, broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday lunchtimes during the football season. The programme, along with Final Score, is a remnant from the former flagship sports show Grandstand which for decades dominated the BBC One Saturday afternoon TV schedules. Football Focus became a programme in its own right in 2001.

The show is now a weekly magazine, with reports from across the country at all levels of English and Scottish football. It previews the weekend's fixtures and provides updates from the early Premier League game. Since BBC have the rights to Premier League highlights, Football Focus also shows the key moments from midweek matches.

As of 2021, presenter Alex Scott is joined by two football pundits such as Fara Williams, Martin Keown, Dion Dublin, Nedum Onuoha, Shay Given, Ellen White, Stephen Warnock and Rachel Brown-Finnis. Other pundits to have appeared include Mark Lawrenson, Jermaine Jenas, and Micah Richards. Match of the Day commentators, including Steve Wilson, Guy Mowbray, Jonathan Pearce, and Simon Brotherton often check-in with game previews from the stadiums.[2]

History

For several years up to 1974, Grandstand aired a slot called "Football Preview", previewing the day's matches which, in 1974, evolved into Football Focus, which continued to be part of Grandstand and was the first item of the programme.

From 1988 to 1992, the Focus name was dropped and football previews were was only aired on FA Cup weekends due to ITV having exclusive Football League rights. This preview was billed in the schedules as Football. The Football Focus brand was restored in August 1992 when the BBC won the Premier League highlights rights and the programme, once again, became a weekly slot as the first item of Grandstand. This continued until 2001 when, from the start of 2001/02 season, Focus became a stand-alone lunchtime show.

In 2009 Dan Walker became the main host, and was in the hot seat when the show moved to the MediaCityUK complex in Salford, Greater Manchester.

In 2021, former England and Arsenal right-back Alex Scott became the first full-time female host of the show, presenting her first show on 14 August.[3][4] She replaced Dan Walker who had presented the show for the previous twelve years.

Cancellation

On 23 April 2026, it was announced that Football Focus would be axed at the end of the season after 52 years on air.[5][6]

Presenters

  • pre-1974: – First presenter Sam Leitch
  • 1974–1994: Bob Wilson (departed to join ITV as its main football presenter)
  • 1994–1996: Steve Rider (host of Focus as part of his duties as presenter of Grandstand)
  • 1996–1999: Gary Lineker (previously a pundit before he started to present Focus, went on to front Match of the Day)
  • 1999–2004: Ray Stubbs (left to present Final Score on Saturday afternoons.)
  • 2004–2009: Manish Bhasin (left to become presenter of The Football League Show)
  • 2009–2021: Dan Walker[7]
  • 2021–present: Alex Scott[3]

Guest presenters

  • 2005: Mark Pougatch
  • 2006: Celina Hinchcliffe
  • 2007, 2008: Jake Humphrey (presented during 2007 Ashes and Cricket World Cup. Also was main host during Euro 2008 Football Focus)
  • 2014: Mark Chapman (presented a World Cup special edition)[8]
  • 2016, 2021: Eilidh Barbour (presented during 2016 Olympics while Dan Walker was in Rio, she also presented in late 2021)
  • 2018: Seema Jaswal (one episode)[9]
  • 2020: Kelly Somers as stand in when Alex Scott is unavailable.

Theme song

The theme song for the programme is different for each new season. For the 2002–03 season it was "Backaround" by Elevator Suite.[10] The 2003–04 season featured a cover of the Stevie Nicks track "Stand Back" by Linus Loves featuring Sam Obernik. For the 2007–08 season it was "Kill The Director" by The Wombats and for the 2009–10 season it was "Jetstream" by Doves, from the album Kingdom of Rust. For the 2012–13 season it was "Undegpedwar" by Y Niwl from the self-titled album, and in a break with tradition continued as the theme for 2013–14.

For the 2023–24 season, "Seventeen Going Under" by Sam Fender became the new theme song.

Studio

The programme is broadcast from BBC Sport's headquarters and main studios in MediaCityUK in Salford, although some episodes are broadcast on location, from football grounds around the country. The studio is located at the dock10 studios facility.[11]

Ahead of the 2019–20 Premier League season, BBC Sport upgraded the studio that Match of the Day, Match of the Day 2, Football Focus, and Final Score broadcasts from. The facility uses a "4K UHD ready virtual reality studio." It uses Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4 rendering technology.

Other versions

A version of the programme focusing on world football airs on BBC World News.[12]

See also

  • On the Ball
  • Saint and Greavsie

References

  1. ^ "Television studios at dock10". dock10. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  2. ^ "Football Focus - Episode guide". BBC Programme Catalogue. BBC. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  3. ^ a b "Alex Scott named Football Focus host". BBC Sport. BBC. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Alex Scott breaks down her legendary career". BBC Sport. BBC. 14 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
  5. ^ Johnson, Dale (23 April 2026). "Football Focus to end after 52 years". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
  6. ^ "BBC Sport confirms end to Football Focus as football content expands across platforms". BBC Media Centre (Press release). BBC. 23 April 2026. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  7. ^ "Gerry Sutcliffe wants Burns report back on FA's agenda". The Guardian. London: Guardian Media Group. 22 July 2009. ISSN 1756-3224.
  8. ^ "World Cup Football Focus Special, Football Focus – BBC One". BBC Programme Catalogue. BBC. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  9. ^ "07/04/2018, Football Focus – BBC One". BBC Programme Catalogue. BBC. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  10. ^ "Music details: Archive". Grandstand. BBC Sport. BBC. 22 January 2003.
  11. ^ Dams, Tim (14 August 2019). "Match of the Day moves into dock10's VR studio". Broadcast. London: Media Business Insight.
  12. ^ "Football Focus – BBC World News". BBC Programme Catalogue. BBC. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
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