Match of the Day is a British television staple, but just how much work goes into it? (Image: BBC)
Gary Lineker has lifted the lid on what really happens off-camera at the BBC every Saturday while working on Match of the Day.. The football highlights staple, which kicked off in August 1964, continues to be a fixture for fans catching up on the Premier League’s thrills and spills and offers expert insight into the matches showcased.
Lineker, who has become synonymous with the show since taking over hosting duties from Des Lynam in 1999, features alongside the likes of NUFC hero Alan Shearer and former Manchester City defender Micah Richards, providing post-match commentary and analysis.
To the curiosity of avid supporters, the beloved broadcasting trio recently spilled the beans on their The Rest Is Football podcast about their routine a day filled with football watching, banter and even the occasional takeaway, according to Lineker’s revelations.
Kicking off at 3pm
Richards asked Lineker to outline a typical Saturday for listeners, with the host explaining: “Well, we watch a lot of football.” To which Shearer humorously retorted: “I would hope so.” Lineker elaborated: “Well it’s kind of what we’re there for, so I mean. I love the three o’clock thing where we sit down.
“You’ve got five games at 3pm, and you each give yourself a game or get designated a game to watch through so you can focus on it properly analytically. And I’ll sit there and just watch all-round or Leicester when they’re playing mostly – as I did yesterday.”
He continued with a chuckle: “And then we’ve got a big table at the back of the room of goodies right. You know, there’s crisps – Walkers obviously – there’s chocolate, there’s all sorts of things. A nd every Saturday I go in and I say ‘do not get involved with that table this Saturday’ because once you start, once you’re in, you don’t stop. And once again, I failed miserably. So I kept snacking away, snacking away.”
Lineker lifted the veil on his Spotify podcast (Image: X)
A cheeky Nando’s
As for meal planning amid the snacking routine, Lineker disclosed that the hosting team doesn’t stop at nibbles but also dives into a sumptuous take-out feast around 6pm, sampling the cornucopia of London eateries. He went on: “Then we usually eat don’t we, about half-time of the evening game, so around 6ish, 6.30pm something like that.
“And it’s basically whichever takeaway…I mean I’ve been going up there now for 13 years, and I think we’ve exhausted every possible take-out. But it’s usually Nando’s, Wagamama’s, all sorts of Chinese, Caribbean food – all sorts of stuff we get in don’t we?”
Shearer and Micah Richards also present MOTD (Image: The Rest Is Football)
A late finish
Detailing the post-dinner work routine and the late-night finish, Lineker explained his role extends well into the night: “We end up watching that game, you guys do your analysis, I go through the script with Rich the editor.
“In the studio at about half nine rehearsing – that’s me, I do all my lines, listen into the various matches – and then you boys join me and off we go. And eventually it comes round and I say ‘It’s live television’. 10.30pm last night, so we finished just before midnight.”
So there you have it, a Saturday in the life of Lineker, Shearer and Richards for Match of the Day. While getting paid watching football may seem like a dream job for some, the lengthy shifts, sometimes into the midnight hours, may be a little to much to handle for those who have a sleeping routine set in stone…
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1960460/gary-lineker-match-of-the-day