A list of ITV regional football programmes and commentators 1968-1983
From the start of the 1968/69 season, most ITV regional stations produced their own hour long Sunday afternoon football highlights show featuring a match with a local team playing at home, those that didn't either relayed a neighbouring station's programme or The Big Match from LWT. This arrangement lasted for 15 season's (with ITV taking the Saturday night slot for 1980/81 and 1982/83). No league matches were shown live during this period, the only live football to be seen on television before October 1983 was the FA Cup final, some European finals, selected England matches and World Cup/Euro tournaments**.

London Weekend Television
The Big Match
Commentator: Brian Moore
ATV (based in Birmingham) *Replaced by Central in January 1982
Star Soccer
Commentators: Hugh Johns (until May 1982), Peter Brackley (from Aug 1982)
Granada (based in Manchester)
Football / Kick Off Match / Match Night / Match Time
Commentators: Barry Davies (1968/69), Gerald Sinstadt (Aug 1969-May 1981), Martin Tyler (from Aug 1981)
Yorkshire Television (based in Leeds)
Yorksport / Football Special / The Big Game
Commentators: Danny Blanchflower (1968/69), Keith Macklin (1969-late 1976), Martin Tyler (late 1976-May 1981), John Helm (from Aug 1981)
Anglia (based in Norwich)
Match of the Week (This show precedes Aug 1968 having first aired in 1962)
Commentators: John Camkin (1962-May? 1967), Gerald Sinstadt (1967 - May 1969), Gerry Harrison (from Aug/1969)
Tyne Tees Television (based in Newcastle)
Shoot! (Tyne Tees coverage precedes Aug 1968 having first shown highlights in 1962)
Commentators: George Taylor (until 1970ish), George Bayley (mid-late 1960's), Jeff Thomas (1971-May 1973) David Taylor (1973/74), Kenneth Wolstenholme (Aug 1974-1979), Roger Tames (from 1979)
Southern (Southampton) *Replaced by TVS in January 1982
Southern Soccer (Southern coverage began in late 1966) / The Saturday Match (TVS)
Commentators: Maurice Edelston (1966-1968), Gerald Williams (???-1978ish), Martin Tyler (Dec 1974-late 1976), Dave Lanning (mid 1970's), Nigel King (mid-late 1970's), David Bobin (1978ish-until Dec 1981), Gerald Sinstadt (from when TVS replaced Southern in Jan 1982)
HTV (based in Bristol and Cardiff)
Soccer Special / Soccer Hour
Commentators: Roger Malone, Bob Symonds (for Wales based matches from around 73/74) and occasionally Graham Miller (late 70's/early '80s), Hugh Johns (from Aug 1982)
Westward (Plymouth) *Replaced by TSW in January 1982
Title not known (Despite only having three lower league clubs, Westward did cover their own matches occasionally)
Commentator: original unknown, Chris Fear (1976/77-1984)
Border Television (Carlisle)
Showed other region's programmes (usually Granada's)
Scottish Television (Glasgow)
Scotsport (This show was first aired in 1957 and continued after May 1983)
Commentators Arthur Montford (1957-1980), Bob Crampsey (1960's), Alex Cameron (60's into '70s), Jock Brown (1980-1990), Gerry McNee (1990-1998), Archie McPherson (1998-).
Grampian Television (Aberdeen)
Showed Scotsport
Ulster Television (Belfast)
Showed other region's programmes
Channel Television (Channel Islands)
Showed other region's programmes

*Additional commentator notes: Barry Davies and Hugh Johns had a trial with ITV together at a Fulham match in 1965/66. Scottish TV commentator Alex Cameron is apparently best remembered for being assaulted by a horse's backside outside Hampden. Studio personalities Elton Welsby (Granada) and Nick Owen (Central) had a go or two with the mic in the gantry as did Krypton Factor presenter Gordon Burns who covered a number of games for Granada including the Sunderland v Man City clash on 18/Sep/1976.  Bill Grundy (famed for the Sex Pistols 'interview') did some mid-week commentaries in the mid-1960's (presumably for Rediffusion). TSW's Chris Fear joined Screensport in 1984, TSW then used Pete Barraclough, Mark Tyler, Peter Brackley and Gary Bloom.

**ABC television (the old Midlands and North weekend channel until 1968) experimented with a live league match on Saturday 10th September 1960; At around 7:25pm commercial TV viewers were able to tune in to live coverage of the last 10 minutes of the first half and all of the 2nd half of Blackpool v Bolton Wanderers, unfortunately the match ended in a disappointing goalless draw. With viewing figures and reaction not as spectacular as hoped (and the Football League still fearful of the impact live coverage would have on attendance's, as well as demanding an increased fee for a 2nd match) the Blackpool match proved to be a one-off failed experiment.

FA Cup Final Coverage 1968-1983
Both ITV and BBC1 simultaneously screened the FA Cup Final live during this period. ITV had first covered the final live in 1956 (Man City v Birmingham) and then began annual coverage (though sometimes highlights only*) from 1958. Gerry Loftus commentated on the 1963-65 finals for ITV (and may well have done earlier finals), Hugh Johns then voiced the 1966 (Everton v Sheffield Wednesday), 1967 (Chelsea v Spurs) and 1968 (WBA v Everton) finals before Brian Moore took over in 1969. BBC2 screened the 1968 (WBA v Everton) and 1969 (Man City v Leicester) finals in colour**, then from 1970 (Chelsea v Leeds) the final was in colour on both BBC1 and ITV*. Jimmy Hill was the co-commentator for ITV 1969-73, then Jack Charlton.
Highlights of the final continued to be screened also, BBC1 showed them under the Match of the Day banner on the Saturday night whilst ITV named their Sunday afternoon version How The Cup Was Won (or Drawn). The BBC later won exclusive rights to the FA Cup from the 1988/89 season.

*ITV's live Cup final broadcasts before 1969 were; 1956, 1958, 1959(?), 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967(?) and 1968.
**I believe ITV recorded the 1969 final in colour, possibly as a training excercise, but they could only broadcast the game in black & white.

League Cup Final Coverage 1968-1983
BBC1 had screened highlights of the first Wembley League Cup final in 1967 (QPR v WBA), it is not clear who covered the 1968 final (Leeds v Arsenal) but ITV then showed highlights of all Wembley finals from 1969-1980 (Brian Moore commentated on these, Gerald Sinstadt did the 1978 Old Trafford replay), curiously the BBC screened highlights of one or both 1977 replays (Villa v Everton). From 1981 the two channels took it in turns (at least with the Wembley games), Match of the Dayshowed highlights of the drawn Wembley final in 1981 (Liverpool v West Ham), ITV broadcast highlights of the 1981 replay and then had the 1982 final (Liverpool v Spurs). The BBC had it in 1983 (Liverpool v Man Utd) this being the last year in which only highlights of the final could be screened*.

*Live coverage of the League Cup final began in 1984 (Liverpool v Everton) with ITV showing both the goalless Wembley game and the replay live, BBC1 first showed it live in 1985 (Norwich v Sunderland). ITV later had exclusive rights to the competition from 1988/89 until 1995/96 after which exclusive live coverage of the final was snapped up by SKY.

Coverage of The Charity Shield 1968-1983
BBC2 had screened highlights of the 1967 Charity Shield (Man Utd v Spurs) as the very first football match to be broadcast in colour, ITV showed the early '70's matches but the annual curtain raiser was not staged at Wembley until 1974 (Liverpool v Leeds) which was on Match of the Day on BBC1 (best remembered for Keegan and Bremner being sent off for fighting), BBC showed the Wembley Charity shield fixtures for four consecutive season's until ITV screened the 1978 match, the two channels then took it in turns*.

*This sequence came to an end in 1987 (Everton v Coventry) when it was shown live for the first time by ITV, the BBC had the rights to it for a number of season's thereafter.

The European Finals 1968-1983
Live coverage of the European Cup final during much of this period appears to have alternated between BBC and ITV with the latter showing it live when the year ended in an even number (sometimes highlights were shown later that night by whichever channel had not broadcast it live), although both channels showed it live in 1972 and 1973 and neither was allowed to show the 1974 final (which ended in a draw) because England were playing at home to Northern Ireland that night. The 2 Leg UEFA Cup finals were not shown live back then (BBC and ITV would each show highlights of one leg). The Cup-Winners Cup may have been shown live if British teams were involved, with ITV showing it in odd numbered years.

Thanks to John Bourn, Julian Clark, Alan Buchanan, Daniel Mann, Paul Johnson, Robert Pedley, Rodney George, Michael Whalley, Mark Bunn and Steve Westby.

Email
[email protected]

Links
It�s up for grabs now! The history of football on ITV is a site dedicated to regional ITV football coverage 1968-83 by John Bourn
TV's voices of football is an excellent series of articles by Steve Williams
English Football on TV in Sweden
English Football Cards 1965/66 - 1979/80 is a nostalgia site devoted to football sticker and card collections
Bob's 70/71 for 1970's football
Post War Player's Database is a very useful resource put together by Neil Brown
Historical kits is another useful resource by Dave Moor
The English League Football Archive - All results (league and cup) for 1968-83 can be found here
Jim Edwards TV World - this links to the sports section
Sixties and Seventies Soccer Forum

Recent updates

1st May 2008:- Two blanks filled on the ATV page - 30/Jan/1971 was Oxford 1 Sheffield United 2 and 13/Feb/1971 was Stoke 0 Ipswich 0. One missing match on the Yorkshire page is 22/Dec/1973 Leeds 1 Norwich 0, also 23/Mar/1974 Hull 1 Carlisle 1 is mentioned as being on 'Match of the week' but presumably this was Yorkshire coverage (Thanks Mark!!!). ITV4 showed an ad for a forthcoming programme (or series) on vintage England v Scotland matches, perhaps this will replace "Revisited" at the end of May.
30th April 2008:- An article from a 1983 Brighton matchday programme has been added to the SOUTHERN page, this confirms that no less than four ITV commentators were at the Seagulls FA Cup semi-final v Sheffield Wednesday at Highbury (see here, thanks Mark!!!). Check out this youtube link of TYNE TEES coverage of the Amateur Cup final at Wembley in 1965 (Thanks Dan!!!). Season footnotes on the ANGLIA page are now being added and these are being written by Mark Bunn who has also compiled records of Anglia matches from the local Football pinks (so plenty of blanks are being filled in there).
27th April 2008:- Blanks for ANGLIA 1968/69 have been filled by Mark and missing scorers across the board come courtesy of Alan. Note that the Sunday repeats of "Big Match Revisited" appear to have been dropped, although you can still catch a repeat on Friday day-time if you miss it on Thursdays.
25th April 2008:- GRANADA match for 01/Dec/1973 was Liverpool 1 West Ham 0 (Thanks Michael!!!)
24th April 2008:-  Many ANGLIA blanks have been filled for season's 1969/70 - 1972/73 (Thanks Mark!!!)
23rd April 2008:- TYNE TEES page updated with new entries for early-mid 1960's (Thanks Robert!!!), there are some conflicts between what is said to be in the archives and what matches were billed in the Times - it could be that the Times merely guessed and so, as a precaution, the Times entries have been indicated as such. Missing GRANADA match for 11/Sep/1971 was Blackpool 1 Norwich City 2, this was also shown in the Anglia region (Thanks Mark!!!).
20th April 2008:- ANGLIA page updated with many new entries for early-mid 1960's, particularly 1962/63 season (Thanks Robert!!!). Just spotted an error on the YTV goal comp tape logs which listed 1971/72 Middlesbrough v Sunderland match as being played on 29/Jan/1972, it was actually played on 22/Jan/1972 and so this must have been a Tyne Tees match (not YTV as previously thought) as Leeds v Sheff Utd was covered by YTV that day.
16th April 2008:- Added SOUTHERN page (still under construction).
15th April 2008:- Added HTV page (still under construction). ANGLIA & TYNE TEES pages now up to end of season 1970/71.
13th April 2008:-  Two blanks have been filled on the GRANADA page; 07/Dec/1974 was Liverpool 2 Derby 2 and 18/Jan/1975 was Liverpool 2 Coventry City 1 (Thanks Alan!!!), missing scorers have been added to GRA, YTV, ATV & LWT pages (Thanks to Alan & Mark!!!).
9th April 2008:- More blanks have been filled; LWT 08/Feb/1969 was Watford 5 Rotherham 1 & 15/May/1982 was Fulham 3 Preston 0, GRANADA 18/Oct/1980 was Everton 2 Liverpool 2, 25/Oct/1980 Liverpool 1 Arsenal 1 & 01/Nov/1980 Manchester City 1 Norwich 0 (Thanks to Mark Bunn for these). Gerald Sinstadt was commentating for Anglia before August 1968, probably for the whole of 1967/68 season (Thanks Dan) and the Tyne Tees commentator for 1971-May 1973 was Jeff (or Geoff) Thomas (Thanks John).
8th April 2008:- A bunch of blanks have been filled on the ATV page, these are highlighted in green. (Thanks John!!!). Added Tyne Tees page (still under construction).
6th April 2008:- Added the ANGLIA page which is still under construction.
3rd April 2008:-  LWT, GRANADA and YORKSHIRE pages are now complete, any future corrections/additions will be notified here on this page. Thanks again to Alan for fillng in so many missing scorers. ITV4's "Revisited" screening for matches played on 2nd April 1983 was, as anticipated, an edition of TVS's The Saturday Match hosted by Fred Dinage.
19th March 2008:- Here's a link to a bebo page devoted to "Soccer Night" which is the modern day ITV regional football show.