In a controversial development, the BBC are set to scrap the classified football results from their Saturday afternoon football coverage on Radio 5 Live.
The results became part of regular programming during the 50s as a way of informing those listening via the radio the full results from the Saturday afternoon fixtures, which before the days of televised football was all matches. They were originally read out by John Webster before being made famous by James Alexander Gordon who read them between 1973 and 2013.
Gordon's iconic voice is a recognisable sound to many football fans who grew up listening to 'sports report, he passed away in 2014 having retired a year previously. Charlotte Green then picked up the baton and has been reading the scores ever since.
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However, in the age of smartphones, up to date scores are more readily accessible and this is believed to be a justification for the BBC's decision the scrap the service as part of ongoing modernisation.
In a statement, a BBC spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “With the addition of the 5.30pm live Premier League match to our coverage, Sports Report has been condensed into a shorter programme.
“We will still offer a comprehensive goal service throughout the day on air and on the BBC Sport website as well as Final Score on BBC One. We would like to thank everyone who has read the classified football results on 5 Live over the years.”
There was a range of varied reaction to the news on social media, with Chief Football Reporter for The Times, Henry Winter criticising the move, saying: "The reading of the classified football results on Sports Report has always been part of the Saturday match-day fabric for many fans. @5liveSport @bbc5live decision to scrap the service shows a lack of understanding of fans. It’s about continuity, the pyramid, information…"
Meanwhile, The Atletic's Jack Pitt-Brooke said: "Do I miss the classified football results? Or do I just miss listening to them with my dad in the car when I was 10 years old. Hard to say!"
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