[TV] Football Focus

[hart's shirt]

I find it pretty much unwatchable now and turned off today within seconds of finding out what and who were on.

If this comes across as grumpy old man, I really don't mean it to. I enjoy watching MOTDx - it's really interesting to see a young take on football and the surrounding culture. So it's not an age thing. And I'll watch the Women's Football Show more often than not too, so it's not a gender thing either.

Football Focus has become far less about football and far more about pally chats between male and female retired footballers with little tactical insight but who are somehow employed as pundits. IMHO there's a number of NSC posters (@Stato for one) who would contribute far more analysis than the anodyne truisms trotted out. Then there's the relentless coverage of issues around football which often come across as social engineering by BBC Sport even if it's wholly unintended. I'm not saying they have no value and aren't important to discuss, but sometimes on FF it feels that the cart of social issues is being put before the horse of football.

The lower league features are the saving grace. Albion fans are blessed at the moment with so much media coverage that it would be easy to forget that most professional teams outside the EPL are generally ignored by national media outside of a giant-killing cup run. Thankfully ITV's English Football League Highlights is there to showcase the lower league talents and placate the fans.

As good a player as she was, Scott has IMHO been promoted well above her ability as a presenter. The old adage of 'good players don't always make good managers' could be extended in this age to presenters and pundits.

Too familiar and well-meaning. And probably 30 minutes too long. It's football, not The One Show.

Football Focus has lost its focus.

 

[World of Sport]

Haven’t watched it since Sam Leitch left.

The original 'Big Sam'..... brillia

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

It could do with a bit of charisma in it's presenting/punditry and maybe more focus on the football pyramid.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Bob Wilson was Football Focus. Dan Walker is one of the many lightweights who have unsuccessfully filled the gap.

I think Dan Walker did a good job but FF seems to be trying to cover too many peripheral issues imo and has lost its way in that it is not focussing on football …

 

[studio150]

Well past it's sell by date, should have been axed when Bob Wilson left.

 

[aolstudios]

I'll wager your finger is hovering over the remote for much of it tho

Obvs

 

[dangull]

Saint and Greavsie on ITV was the more entertaining program at the time.

 

[ElectricNaz]

Genuinely didn't even realise Football Focus was still a thing. Haven't watched since the Ray Stubbs era I think. Probably doesn't help clashing with the lunchtime kick offs (if that's when FF is still on)

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Fake account? Or is it a cry for help from @mrdanwalker for the BBC to come and rescue him from his poor career progression decision?

Why was it a poor choice to leave the BBC? He doesn’t have to get up at 3am to drive to Manchester for several days a week when he left Breakfast, and lost his weekends to football every week.
He’s now doing well on the news at 5pm, and has done a couple of shows including walking the Pennine Way with Helen Skelton.

 

[Wozza]

Football Wokus

Brilliant.

 

[Invicta]

I find it pretty much unwatchable now and turned off today within seconds of finding out what and who were on.

If this comes across as grumpy old man, I really don't mean it to. I enjoy watching MOTDx - it's really interesting to see a young take on football and the surrounding culture. So it's not an age thing. And I'll watch the Women's Football Show more often than not too, so it's not a gender thing either.

Football Focus has become far less about football and far more about pally chats between male and female retired footballers with little tactical insight but who are somehow employed as pundits. IMHO there's a number of NSC posters (@Stato for one) who would contribute far more analysis than the anodyne truisms trotted out. Then there's the relentless coverage of issues around football which often come across as social engineering by BBC Sport even if it's wholly unintended. I'm not saying they have no value and aren't important to discuss, but sometimes on FF it feels that the cart of social issues is being put before the horse of football.

The lower league features are the saving grace. Albion fans are blessed at the moment with so much media coverage that it would be easy to forget that most professional teams outside the EPL are generally ignored by national media outside of a giant-killing cup run. Thankfully ITV's English Football League Highlights is there to showcase the lower league talents and placate the fans.

As good a player as she was, Scott has IMHO been promoted well above her ability as a presenter. The old adage of 'good players don't always make good managers' could be extended in this age to presenters and pundits.

Too familiar and well-meaning. And probably 30 minutes too long. It's football, not The One Show.

Football Focus has lost its focus.

That's what it's like actually, one show with added football. Cosy chats and banter over a coffee. Show more football and behind scenes at clubs etc.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

It’s become boring.

Bob Wilson made it IMO, everyone else just don’t meet that standard.

As soon as Saint and Greavsie founds it’s feet, that was the go to show. Ex-pro’s having a laugh, with up and coming players.

 

[rebel51]

Too many women on it now.

Yeh definitely, they bore the shit out of me.Like someone has said it needs a bit of charisma and less of this political correctness.

 

[GT49er]

Watched it for the first time in yonks today - for years I've watched Jeff Stelling and his chums on Sky Sports news instead; infinitey suerior IMHO. Whether it will still be as good now without Stelling sure touch as ringmaster I shall never know as I've cancelled my Virgin subscription, so no more SSN for me.
SSN or no SSN though, I shan't be going back to Football Focus again.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

I never bother with it now UNLESS I know there’s a feature on us. On weeks when we’re playing on Sat I’m hopefully en route to the game. On other weeks I’m more likely to watch the 12 30 game/build-up

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Watched the full Ange interview, till someone highlighted it to me I thought FF was long gone

 

[kojak]

It doesn't focus on football

 

[Albion Robster]

Stop watching it when the BBC’s media darling Alex Scott started hosting the show.
Just a very cringy and wooden presenter who constantly using clinches as ‘banter’. Plus she knows very little about football as well…certainly helps reading off a script though.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I occasionally check to see if we are featured and if so I might watch it on iPlayer where I can skip most of it. Alex Scott has so many speech issues, she just shouldn't be in media. She is unlistenable. As several have suggested, it seems to be a show designed by tick boxers, but who is it aimed at? Saturday afternoon still feels like men's football day and that's all I want to see and hear. Not kids, women, foundations, charity work, just men's football and men's football stuff, presented by people who can talk. I imagine there are many reasons why figures are falling. But they won't rise again till Football Focus Focus's on a Men's Football Show.

 

[Giraffe]

I haven’t watched it for ages. Just think so much is on social media now that I doubt I’ll learn anything from it and Saturday is about us not everyone else.