Final score no more

[diggedy derek]

This seems like the very opposite of public service broadcasting to me, and I hope the outcry forces a reconsideration.

One point that seems important to me is that people at football matches often can't access the scores on their phones, as thousands inside the same stadium are trying to do the same thing. So often your knowledge of other results in the league is limited to a glance at Sky Sports in the bar at halftime, scores flashed up on the big board, and rumours from people around you. All of which means that the classified football scores can provide a useful role in actually being sure what really, definitively happened at the matches that day

[Snake Plissken]

The mobile coverage across the town of Burnley on matchday is notoriously shit for some odd reason. It can't possibly be that bad all the time because no-one would be able to get their phones to work at all. I can often make it to the car park 15 minutes walk away without having a connection.

[Satchmo Distel]

When I only have access to TalkShite on US radio, they automatically switch to the 5.30 pm game at 5.00 pm even if they interrupt someone midsentence. It seems to be contractual to have 30 minutes' buildup, at least in the coverage they share on Sirius.

[johnr]

Slightly off-topic, but I always wondered about the process for getting/checking all of the correct results before being broadcast, particularly for the non-league. I presume somebody has responsibility for phoning them in, but what if, y'know, they just decided to have a gag on their last day or whatever, and sent a completely erroneous one over. And how about the pools coupons/fixed odds in that case?.

[Snake Plissken]

Automated feed from AP or similar, isn't it? I seem to recall the BBC getting all sorts of live scores wrong on opening day a few seasons ago which were blamed on a new system.

[Capybara]

Some of us are old enough to remember LIVERVOOL 7 (SEVEN) SPUTS 0 on the teleprinter.

[Satchmo Distel]

It was the AP. The Beeb was getting the same info as the newspapers.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Some of us are old enough to remember LIVERVOOL 7 (SEVEN) SPUTS 0 on the teleprinter.

That was the season that really did for Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

[Discordant Resonance]

Presumably the time which will be saved will instead be used for breathless takes on whether the EPL club X manager's job will be on the line if they fail to convincingly beat EPL club Y in the 5.30 kick off.

Yes - listened to it last Saturday, and the time "saved" was eaten up by EPL managerial post match bumph, rather than any additional Championship or lower league reports.

[Hot Pepsi]

This seems like the very opposite of public service broadcasting to me, and I hope the outcry forces a reconsideration.

One point that seems important to me is that people at football matches often can't access the scores on their phones, as thousands inside the same stadium are trying to do the same thing. So often your knowledge of other results in the league is limited to a glance at Sky Sports in the bar at halftime, scores flashed up on the big board, and rumours from people around you. All of which means that the classified football scores can provide a useful role in actually being sure what really, definitively happened at the matches that day

In the US, stadiums have improved their mobile infrastructure for exactly that reason.

[My Name Is Ian]

I can only guess, but from the lack of any trailing of it, they presumably knew about the outcry it would cause.

[Jah Womble]

Some of us are old enough to remember LIVERVOOL 7 (SEVEN) SPUTS 0 on the teleprinter.

Even an inept typist couldn't conceal the horror of that.

Glad I was on holiday in France that weekend.

[JM Footzee]

Automated feed from AP or similar, isn't it? I seem to recall the BBC getting all sorts of live scores wrong on opening day a few seasons ago which were blamed on a new system.

Pretty much every provider switched from the Press Association to Opta in 2013, when the latter became the licensed partner of the main English leagues. And yeah, the opening day went pretty badly.

[Logan Mountstuart]

Is there a petition anywhere? I've already expressed my disgust on their website.

As expressed above, jumping in the car after the matches, listening to the results brings back so many happy memories despite the inevitable gridlock.

Only a year or so ago they made a great, back-slapping fuss of celebrating X years of Sports Report and how traditional it all was. How they'd never change the music. What an honour it was to follow in the footsteps of great presenters (attempting to turn themselves into legends by proxy of course).

[Fussbudget]

One point that seems important to me is that people at football matches often can't access the scores on their phones, as thousands inside the same stadium are trying to do the same thing. So often your knowledge of other results in the league is limited to a glance at Sky Sports in the bar at halftime, scores flashed up on the big board, and rumours from people around you. All of which means that the classified football scores can provide a useful role in actually being sure what really, definitively happened at the matches that day

Yes the stuff about all supporters checking the scores on their phones during the game is wildly optimistic about the state of telecoms infrastructure in this country. I get zero mobile signal (to the point that I can't even send Whatsapp messages) at the Riverside between about 2.45pm and 5pm on matchdays. The other Championship scores and 'scores of interest' usually get read out by the stadium announcer at half time and full time and that's always the first I find out about them, plus you get a big cheer if Newcastle/Sunderland/Leeds are losing badly.

If the justification is that it has been overtaken by technology, then surely so is sport on the radio in general? Yet people continue to listen because they're obviously getting something out of it

[Jon]

Remember when the BBC took BBC3 off the telly to go online only as the young folk weren't watching channels anymore and just accessing everything online/streaming? Well, that worked well - BBC3 is now back on the TV again.

Expect the classified scores to be back on the radio again in a couple of years or so. (Or maybe sooner if there's significant protest against this decision).

[DCI Harry Batt]

Are there any listening figures around?

[Eggchaser]

I for one welcome the increased time allocated to our Fantasy Football Bantz Overlords.

[Third rate Leszno]

Talksport do run through the results, but on the rare occasions I'm listening to that (usually only if 5Live have made a wrong-headed decision to have live rugby union commentary that continues after 5pm) I find it rushed and that I don't have time to consider each score before they've read out the next three. It's about the same pace as the T&Cs at the end of a betting commercial.

[Felicity, I guess so]

I'd just like to add, from bitter experience, that their claims that Final Score and 'unrivalled' goal-by-goal radio coverage essentially means for Scotland they (the 'British' BC) will tell you when the old firm score, certainly they have zero coverage of anything below Premier

[Satchmo Distel]

There's an assumption that listeners are only waiting for 2 or 3 scores. There's a loss of any recognition of fans who are interested in the leagues as leagues not just a parochial interest.

[Nocturnal Submission]

[Patrick Thistle]

Something they could do, if the thought was that it was boring/ stale, is have a guest reading them out every week. Doesn't even have to be famous people - get fans to apply and have a "fan of the week" who reads out the scores.

[Sean of the Shed]

Something they could do, if the thought was that it was boring/ stale, is have a guest reading them out every week. Doesn't even have to be famous people - get fans to apply and have a "fan of the week" who reads out the scores.

No.
No.
Just... no.
No no no no no.
"Fans" should not be allowed to do it. Not ever.

[Patrick Thistle]

Slebs then. Or kids.