The Archive

Football Focus presenter Ray Stubbs explains to Andy Lyons how the BBC's flagship has coped with the loss of highlights rights, and how it dealt with the ITV Digital story

Some might say Football Focus has be­come more fan-oriented over time, but the prog­ramme is always evolving and you don’t particularly notice which way it’s going unless you sit back and look at the tapes of it season by season. Sometimes the BBC might set the agenda, ITV comes up with a response, then Sky, then that in turn might trigger a response from us. We all take the lead at different times. I’m not someone who will just say “the BBC leads the way”, but at the same time I am proud of what we do. I think our public ser­vice broadcast remit does enable us to go a little bit deeper in our coverage than some other broadcasters might feel they are able to.

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After the collapse of ITV digital, Simon Tindall believes that Division One clubs are acting fast to betray all those below them, without doing themselves any particular favours either

The latest plan for restructuring the Football League is now up for discussion. A report from management consultants KPMG, commissioned by the First Division clubs, is now being circulated to the Second and Third Division. The gist of its contents was made public in August, and when the lower division clubs get their hands on the full ver­sion they are not likely to find it attractive reading.

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Why have England's two biggest clubs linked up with struggling Belgian outfits? To get easy access to the African market, of course. Dan Brennan reports

A country that consistently manages to field a team of 30-something geriatrics in the World Cup wouldn’t seem like the first place to go looking for young talent. On the face of it, in fact, the idea of a Belgian nursery club seems like a bit of a contradiction in terms. Odd then, perhaps, that England’s top two clubs, Manchester United and Arsenal, with the world seemingly at their fingertips, should have got into bed with a pair of cash-strapped Flemish strugglers, Royal Antwerp and Beveren.

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Brendan Fatchett, the former station manager of Teamtalk 252, says football clubs have become too greedy in their demands over radio rights

While a great deal of attention has been paid to football’s problems with television, many fans may not have considered whether they are getting a good deal from radio broadcasters. Is there enough competition, or are we on the verge of finding too many sporting rights in the hands of too few broadcasters?

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Football can bring out the best in people. Is this really the motive of Libya's notorious leader? Alan Duncan discusses a potentially unfounded change of tack

Seen from the outside, it’s an intrigue that could perhaps be adapted to an Austin Powers movie. After decades of championing international terrorism, Dr Evil and his cloned son finally decide to go down the straight and narrow. They shock the world through their new-found sense of tolerance and magnanimity of spirit rather than their erstwhile moral depravity. The reason for such a drastic transformation? The sudden realisation that football can provide them with the unlimited access to the fame and power they have long failed to achieve through criminal deeds.

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