The news that Grandstand, the once popular Saturday Sports show, is to be taken off the air isn?t that surprising.
What is surprising is that it has taken so long and that it may shuffle along in one format or another until 2009. However, despite this apparent display of negativity, it is a programme that I do have fond memories of.
As a lad, it was often a straight choice between Grandstand and World of Sport. More often than not Grandstand won. In pre-pubescent youth horse racing didn?t hold much fascination, although it was often described as the ?Sport of Kings? it bored me to tears. Therefore the prospect of sitting through the infamous ITV Seven filled me with dread. With Grandstand only usually showing three or four races it was probably viewed as the lesser of two evils.
Besides Grandstand also had so much more to offer. Football Focus was seen as a more intelligent offering compared to the light-hearted Saint and Greavsie whilst such sports as Rallying, Motor-Cross, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Skiing and occasionally Swimming were far more enticing than the Wrestling served up on ITV.
However, all these sports were just a façade to hide behind before the much-awaited teleprinter clicked into life. With it?s chattering print head spewing out the final results it had, amongst my circle of boyhood pals, an almost iconic status. Sometimes, whilst awaiting a result, you were left on tenterhooks.
The head used to navigate from left to right spelling out the home side and score and then pause for what seemed like an eternity before suddenly springing into action and completing the scoreline. Occasionally, it got stuck permanently and you had to wait for the delectable tones of the chap who used to read out the final scores.
On reflection, the demise of Grandstand was on the cards as soon as satellite television appeared on the scene. Whereas the BBC had to operate within a budget, satellite television, owned by the media magnet, Rupert Murdoch, was able to speculate to eventually accumulate viewers.
With its slick production and, in my opinion, more professional and enticing approach, the new boy slowly began to peck away at the carcass that was soon to become Grandstand.
Rugby League, Rugby Union, Rallying and Football were all to be poached by the new kid on the block, a new kid who offered innovative coverage raising the bar to a new level. With budgetary restraints, the BBC were always going to struggle.
At times Grandstand almost become a parody of its former self with coverage restricted to minority sports that were never going to generate the audiences that watched what had become an institution in its heyday. Although Grandstand has staggered along and outlasted its one time rival, World of Sport, its demise is still to be mourned.
Indeed, ITV had the temerity to even poach the BBC tradition of showing the Boat Race as well as having the gall to snatch Grand Prix racing as well.
You just can?t help feeling that the next generation of sports fans will never see a programme like Grandstand instead Saturday afternoon could well become yet another occasion when those running the BBC, or should that be ruining, inflict yet more reality or lame dancing shows upon its licence paying public.
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