Left: The BBC Match of the Day team who also covered most of the England games, following David Coleman's transfer to athletics coverage. Presenter and analyst, Jimmy Hill is in the centre, flanked by commentators, John Motson (left) and Barry Davies (right).

Despite England suffering successive failures to reach major tournaments, both BBC and ITV faithfully continued to report on their trials and tribulations with enthusiasm. There were few amendments to the established patterns and sharing of coverage of England games between the two major television channels, but there were one or two subtle differences towards the end of the decade that were signs of the changes to come.

David Coleman (BBC) and Brian Moore (ITV) continued in their roles as leading commentators, with Barry Davies deputising for Coleman in the lower-profile internationals and Hugh Johns continuing to serve ITV on the odd occasion, allowing Moore to lead the panellists' debate back in the studio. Johns was hugely experienced, having been ITV's commentator for the 1966 World Cup Final and he was to cover his fourth final in 1978, in Argentina. His England games were limited, however, and his last was in Portugal, in 1975. Johns also covered the occasional Welsh international for HTV as the other home nations were now more often opting out of the England match coverage, thanks to more foreign broadcasters making games available to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Though restrictions on live coverage still applied throughout the regular season, there were no such restrictions when it came to end-of-season tours. In 1976, England headed for the US to take part in the American Bicentennial Tournament and gave the BBC the opportunity to feature a meeting with Brazil direct from the Los Angeles Coliseum on a Sunday night. Three other games were also featured in the coming weeks and it was now expected that the viewers back home could see every England game on the same day, no matter where in the world it was played.

Since the beginning of the decade, David Coleman had been spending each summer covering athletics for the BBC and then returning during the football season to commentate on the big games at the business end of the season. This invariably included most of the England games and the FA Cup competition, interspersed with presenting Grandstand on the day of the Grand National (the world-famous horse-racing steeplechase). Match of the Day, meanwhile, continued to flourish under Jimmy Hill, with regular commentators, Barry Davies and John Motson. At the end of 1976, Coleman became involved in a contract dispute with the BBC and disappeared from the airwaves for a year.

There was now a vacancy for the top commentator and it was generally felt that Davies, the more senior of the two, who had first voiced an England game in 1966 (for ITV) would be given the role, but surprisingly, his 31-year-old colleague, John Motson was given the coveted FA Cup Final, despite never having covered a live game before, with Davies still getting Liverpool's European Cup Final in the same week. Motson, however, also commentated on the England v. Scotland home international and the game in Argentina to reinforce his new-found position. Having to describe celebrating Scotland fans snapping both of Wembley's crossbars in two was probably not something that he would ever have anticipated. The game in Buenos Aires was the very last England game televised in black and white, with the following year's World Cup hosts only providing colour pictures in time for the tournament. England's other two games on this tour (in Brazil and Uruguay) failed to reach UK screens (apart from some very brief footage from Rio), because they were both played in the early hours of a Thursday morning (UK time). Fortunately, they were both goalless draws.

England were heading for a second successive World Cup qualification failure and turned to Ron Greenwood to try to salvage some pride, following Don Revie's departure. The final game of the campaign was at home to Italy, who were odds-on favourites to qualify. The BBC had shown all of the away games in the group (including the opening match live from Finland), leaving ITV to broadcast all of the Wembley games. Despite an abysmal year for England (they had lost three times at Wembley for the first time), the visit of the Italians was a sell-out, so permission was given for live coverage, just as against Poland, four years earlier. This time, Brian Moore was given the commentary (alongside Jack Charlton) and England gave a terrific performance with the understanding between Trevor Brooking and Kevin Keegan really coming to prominence, as they each provided an assist for the other to score from. England still went out of the World Cup, but there was now a renewed optimism about the national team. They had only lost four competitive continental fixtures since 1970, with their two European conquerors (West Germany and Czechoslovakia) going on to win the competition, and the two World Cup opponents (Poland and Italy) reaching the last four.

With the FA facing another World Cup without England being present, they were keen to encourage this new-found enthusiasm and so, took the unprecedented step of allowing live coverage of England's next international at Wembley, against the ever-popular Brazilians. This was to be the first friendly to be shown live on a midweek evening. The BBC took advantage of this one and it also heralded the return to big-match commentaries of David Coleman. It was a fascinating tussle, with England battling against an unusually physical Brazil team to earn a 1-1 draw.

John Motson briefly stepped aside to allow Coleman to cover his sixth and last FA Cup Final, and he also commentated on his second World Cup Final, but Motson and Davies were given England's home internationals. Coleman commentated on one more England game (his 45th), against Scotland, the following year, but just as Kenneth Wolstenholme had experienced a decade earlier, when Coleman took centre stage, he was never going to be first choice for all of the big games anymore. He then went back to presenting Grandstand, whilst also converting A Question of Sport into a more jovial family entertainment show and maintaining a more serious side commentating on his first love, that of athletics, though his often-excitable style was mocked relentlessly when he was lampooned as a puppet on ITV's Spitting Image (as was John Motson) and his commentary gaffes spawned a series of 'Colemanballs' books. He was a mainstay of subsequent BBC Olympic Games coverage until he retired in 2000 as a legend in sports broadcasting.

Though ITV had popularised panels of ex-internationals commenting on the big England games, with the BBC following suit, ITV's midweek coverage was mostly made up of outside broadcasts called The Mid-week Match, until Thames finally produced Mid-week Sports Special, a studio show designed to challenge the long-standing Sportsnight. In the space of twelve months between November 1978 and October 1979, however, ITV missed out on three England games that they were scheduled to feature. Firstly, against Czechoslovakia, the European Champions, at Wembley, with Viv Anderson becoming the first black player to win a full cap. It was kept off the screens because of a Thames technicians' strike. Only news cameras collected footage from the game. Then, the channel was off-air for ten weeks from August 1979 following a breakdown in pay negotiations between ITV companies and their employees at all levels. The European Championship qualifiers against Denmark and Northern Ireland were both affected. Danish television covered their game at Wembley, thanks to an independent company organised by the Football Association. England's trip to Belfast was captured by BBC Northern Ireland, but the action was probably not shown in England until the following weekend's Grandstand because the BBC did not own the rights to show the highlights in the rest of the UK on the day.

The independent channel had started the year with live coverage of a mid-season European Championship match for the first time, the earlier Wembley fixture against Northern Ireland, whilst all three games of England's end-of-season tour of Bulgaria, Sweden and Austria were also shown live; the first time that every game of a three-match tour (outside of major tournaments) was given complete coverage as it happened. After Peter Shilton was substituted at half-time in Vienna, he joined Brian Moore in the commentary box, perhaps the only player ever to play in and commentate on the same match. The UK missed out in 1980 on England's brief appearance in Australia, a B international in all but name for England, though the Australian Broadcasting Corporation did feature the game.

Despite the upheavals, England were playing well and began the eighties by, at last, appearing in a major tournament, the newly-expanded European Championship, in Italy. Barry Davies was rewarded for his loyalty and commentated on England's last four internationals before the tournament (discounting the Australia game), including a prestigious 3-1 beating of World Champions, Argentina, but also a patchy British Championship, with a 4-1 defeat against Wales. John Motson took on his first England tournament commentary against Belgium, in Turin, a game that briefly descended into mayhem when the police fired tear gas to resolve a dispute between English and local Italian fans, the game then having to be stopped as the gas was affecting the players.

ITV covered the remaining two games, with Ron Atkinson, the West Bromwich Albion manager, who would be a regular contributor to ITV's football coverage for the next 24 years, sat alongside Brian Moore, finally making his first major tournament TV commentaries, though he had been at the microphone for the previous championship in 1976 when it was only a four-team tournament. Unfortunately, it ended all too quickly for England, but they had made great strides and they would honour the next World Cup with their presence, much to the delight of the TV channels.

 

 "Oh, I say! Ray Wilkins scores for England and a cooler goal you couldn't wish to see.
Look at that, he lobs it over the defence and then over the goalkeeper."
John Motson (Belgium v. England 1980 European Championship)

For more details on TV football in this era, the ITV Football 1966-98 website is well worth a visit.

Season 1975-76
Notes		ITV's Channel region did not broadcast in colour until the 1976-77 season. All other broadcasts are in colour, except where stated.
494	Wednesday, 3 September 1975 - Switzerland 1 England 2 [1-2] Sankt Jakob Stadium, Basel - Kick-off 8.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	BBC1 - 10:05pm - 10:55pm (recorded highlights) commentator David Coleman (BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland opted out)
Notes		BBC1 Northern Ireland and BBC1 Scotland (in Sportscene) each showed a European Championship qualifier at the same time. Northern Ireland faced Sweden, whilst Scotland were in Denmark. The goals from both games would probably have been shown in England and Wales.
Other England Internationals		Wednesday, 29th October 1975 Tehelné pole, Nové Mesto, Bratislava Czechoslovakia 0 England 0 - Abandoned after 16 minutes - fog Sportsnight (BBC1) 9:25pm - 11:10pm (recorded highlights) commentator David Coleman
495	Thursday, 30 October 1975 - Czechoslovakia 2 England 1 [1-1] Tehelné pole, Bratislava - Kick-off 2.00pm (1.00pm GMT) HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	BBC1 - 10:15pm - 11:00pm (recorded highlights) commentator David Coleman
Notes		This programme was scheduled following the abandonment of the previous day's international.
496	Wednesday, 19 November 1975 - Portugal 1 England 1 [1-1] Estádio José Alvalade, Lisboa - Kick-off 8:00pm GMT HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	ITV (black and white) - 10:30pm - 11:30pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Grampian, Granada, HTV West, Scottish, Southern, Thames, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire (HTV Cymru/Wales opted out)) commentator Hugh Johns (recorded highlights)
Notes		HTV Cymru/Wales showed the historic victory against Austria in The Mid-Week Match as Wales qualified for the European Championship quarter-finals for the first time.
497	Wednesday, 24 March 1976 - Wales 1 England 2 [0-0] Racecourse Ground, Wrexham - Kick-off 7.30pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	The Mid-Week Match (ITV) - 10:00pm - 10:50pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Grampian, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, Southern, Thames, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire (Scottish opted out) commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights)
498	Saturday, 8 May 1976 - Wales 0 England 1 [0-0] Ninian Park, Cardiff - Kick-off 3.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:10pm - 11:40pm commentator David Coleman (recorded highlights) ITV (all regions) - Sunday, 9th May - 2:10pm - 3:10pm commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights)
Notes		Both programmes also included highlights from the other British Championship match between Northern Ireland and Scotland.
499	Tuesday, 11 May 1976 - England 4 Northern Ireland 0 [2-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 9:55pm - 10:55pm commentator Barry Davies (recorded highlights)
500	Saturday, 15 May 1976 - Scotland 2 England 1 [1-1] Hampden Park, Glasgow - Kick-off 3.00pm BST	Grandstand (BBC1) - 2:35pm - 4:50pm commentator David Coleman BBC Scotland commentator Archie Macpherson World of Sport (ITV) - 2:40pm - 4:55pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, London Weekend, Southern, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire commentators Brian Moore and Jack Charlton Grampian and Scottish commentator Arthur Montford International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm (recorded highlights)
501	Sunday, 23 May 1976 - Brazil 1 England 0 [1-0] LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles - Kick-off 2.30pm  (10.30pm BST)	BBC1 - 10:30pm to 11:15pm and 11:25pm - 12:20am (News during half-time interval) commentator David Coleman
502	Friday, 28 May 1976 - England 3 Italy 2 [0-2] Yankee Stadium, New York City - Kick-off 8.00pm (1.00am Saturday, 29 May BST) HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	World of Sport (ITV) - Saturday, 29th May - 3:35pm - 4:00pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, London Weekend, Southern, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire ITV - Saturday, 29th May - 11:20pm - 12:15am Grampian and Scottish commentators Brian Moore and Kevin Keegan (recorded highlights)
Notes		The Grampian and Scottish programme probably also included highlights from the game between Brazil and Team America played in Seattle on the previous night in the same tournament.
Other England Internationals		Monday, 31st May 1976 - Unofficial John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia England 3 Team America 1 10:15pm - 11:15pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, London Weekend, Southern, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire 11:35pm - 12:35am Grampian and Scottish commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights) Saturday, 5th June 1976 - Schoolboys Empire Stadium, Wembley England 6 France 1 - World of Sport (ITV) 3:15pm - 4:55pm (all regions) commentator Brian Moore
503	Sunday, 13 June 1976 - Finland 1 England 4 [1-2] Olympiastadion, Helsinki - Kick-off 7.30pm (6:30pm BST)	BBC1 - 6:15pm - 8:20pm commentator David Coleman

Season 1976-77
504	Wednesday, 8 September 1976 - England 1 Republic of Ireland 1 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 9:55pm - 10:50pm Sportscene (BBC1 Scotland) - 9:55pm - 10:50pm (recorded highlights) commentator David Coleman
Notes		RTÉ showed the game live in Ireland. Brief highlights from Scotland v. Finland were also shown in Sportsnight, whilst Sportscene also featured both games.
505	Wednesday, 13 October 1976 - England 2 Finland 1 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 8.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	The Mid-Week Match (ITV) - 10:30pm - 11:35pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, Southern, Thames, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire (Grampian and Scottish opted out) commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights)
Notes		Grampian and Scottish both provided live coverage of Scotland's opening World Cup qualifier in Czechoslovakia, as did BBC1 Scotland, whilst BBC1 Northern Ireland presented their World Cup opener live from the Netherlands.
506	Wednesday, 17 November 1976 - Italy 2 England 0 [1-0] Stadio Olimpico, Roma - Kick-off 2.30pm (1.30pm GMT) HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 9:55pm - 10:55pm World Cup Sportscene (BBC1 Scotland) - 9:55pm - 10:55pm Sportsnight Wales (BBC1 Wales) - 9:55pm - 10:55pm (recorded highlights) commentator David Coleman
Notes		World Cup Sportscene and Sportsnight Wales both featured the qualifier between Scotland and Wales, but all three BBC1 variations would have included both games. The Grampian and Scottish ITV regions also provided highlights from Scotland's game with Wales.
507	Wednesday, 9 February 1977 - England 0 Netherlands 2 [0-2] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 8.00pm GMT HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	The Mid-Week Match (ITV) - 10:30pm - 11:30pm (all regions) commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights)
508	Wednesday, 30 March 1977 - England 5 Luxembourg 0 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 8.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	The Mid-Week Match (ITV) - 10:40pm - 11:45pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Grampian, Granada, HTV West, Southern, Thames, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire (HTV Cymru/Wales and Scottish opted out) commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights)
Notes		HTV Cymru/Wales showed Wales' World Cup qualifier with Czechoslovakia in The Mid-Week Match. Both BBC1 Scotland (with Sportscene) and the Scottish ITV region (with Scotsport) covered the Scottish Cup semi-final replay between Heart of Midlothian and Rangers.
509	Saturday, 28 May 1977 - Northern Ireland 1 England 2 [1-1] Windsor Park, Belfast - Kick-off 3.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	ITV (all regions) - 7:00pm - 7:45pm commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights) International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:25pm - 11:50pm commentator John Motson (recorded highlights) Sunday Sport (ATV) - Sunday 29th May - 2.10pm - 3:05pm (recorded highlights) Sportsworld '77 (ITV) - Sunday 29th May - 2:15pm - 3:00pm (recorded highlights) Anglia, Border, Channel, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, London Weekend, Ulster and Westward (Grampian, Granada, Scottish, Southern, Tyne Tees and Yorkshire opted out)
Notes		International Match of the Day also included highlights from the other opening match in the British Championship, between Wales and Scotland, as did Sportsworld '77 (which also included badminton and judo) and Sunday Sport.
510	Tuesday, 31 May 1977 - England 0 Wales 1 [0-1] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 8.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	International Soccer Special (BBC1) - 9:55pm - 10:55pm (recorded highlights) commentator Barry Davies
511	Saturday, 4 June 1977 - England 1 Scotland 2 [0-1] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 3.00pm BST	Grandstand (BBC1) - 2:35pm - 4:50pm commentators John Motson and Jimmy Hill World of Sport (ITV) - 2:45pm - 4:55pm (all regions) commentators Brian Moore and Sir Alf Ramsey International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:50pm - 11:40pm (recorded highlights)
512	Wednesday, 8 June 1977 - Brazil 0 England 0 [0-0] Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, Rio de Janeiro - Kick-off 9.30pm (1.30am Thursday, 9 June BST) HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	BBC1 - Sunday 12 June - 6:50pm - 6:55pm (approximately) (recorded highlights)
Notes		Jimmy Hill gave a brief summary over a film report of the game, prior to live coverage of the game with Argentina.
513	Sunday, 12 June 1977 - Argentina 1 England 1 [1-1] Estadio Camilo Cichero, Buenos Aires - Kick-off 3.00pm (7.00pm BST)	BBC1 (black and white) - 6:45pm - 8:45pm commentator John Motson
Other England Internationals		Saturday, 18th June 1977 - Schoolboys Wembley Stadium, London England 1 West Germany 2 - World of Sport (ITV) 3:10pm - 4:55pm (all regions) commentator Hugh Johns

Season 1977-78
515	Wednesday, 7 September 1977 - England 0 Switzerland 0 [0-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	The Mid-Week Match (ITV) - 10:30pm - 11:30pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, Southern, Thames, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire (Grampian and Scottish opted out) commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights)
516	Wednesday, 12 October 1977 - Luxembourg 0 England 2 [0-1] Stade Municipal, Stad Lëtzebuerg - Kick-off 7.15pm (6.15pm BST)	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 9:55pm - 10:55pm commentator John Motson (recorded highlights) (BBC Scotland and BBC Wales opted out)
Notes		World Cup Sportscene on BBC1 Scotland and Sportsnight Wales on BBC1 Wales provided live coverage of the dramatic qualifier at Anfield, Liverpool as Scotland beat Wales to qualify for the World Cup. The Grampian and Scottish regions of ITV showed later highlights of the game. BBC1 Northern Ireland featured highlights in an earlier slot of their qualifier against the Netherlands played in the afternoon. Sportsnight also included highlights of the other two games.
517	Wednesday, 16 November 1977 - England 2 Italy 0 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm GMT	ITV - 7:30pm - 9:45pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, Southern, Thames, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire (Grampian and Scottish opted out) commentators Brian Moore and Jack Charlton
Notes		BBC1 Northern Ireland showed later highlights from their final World Cup qualifier against Belgium.
518	Wednesday, 22 February 1978 - West Germany 2 England 1 [0-1] Olympiastadion, München - Kick-off 8.15pm (7.15pm GMT) HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 9:55pm - 11:10pm (recorded highlights) commentator Barry Davies (BBC Scotland opted out)
Notes		Sportsnight also included the previous night's welterweight boxing match between Dave 'Boy' Green and Zovek Barajas of Mexico at the Royal Albert Hall. BBC1 Scotland featured the friendly against Bulgaria in Sportscene, the highlights of which will also have been included in Sportsnight.
Other England Internationals		Wednesday, 8th March 1978 UEFA Under-21 Championship Quarter-Final First Leg Maine Road, Manchester England 2 Italy 1 - Sportsnight (BBC1) 9:55pm - 10:45pm commentator John Motson (recorded highlights)
519	Wednesday, 19 April 1978 - England 1 Brazil 1 [0-1] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST	Sportsnight Special (BBC1) - 7:30pm - 9:35pm commentators David Coleman, Jimmy Hill and Ally MacLeod (BBC Scotland opted out)
520	Saturday, 13 May 1978 - Wales 1 England 3 [0-1] Ninian Park, Cardiff - Kick-off 3.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	ITV (all regions) - 7:30pm - 8:30pm commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights) International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:20pm - 11:50pm International Sportscene (BBC1 Northern Ireland and BBC1 Scotland) 10:20pm - 11:50pm commentator John Motson (recorded highlights)
Notes		International Match of the Day also featured highlights from the other opening game in the British Championship, between Northern Ireland and Scotland, as did International Sportscene.
521	Tuesday, 16 May 1978 - England 1 Northern Ireland 0 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm commentator John Motson (recorded highlights)
522	Saturday, 20 May 1978 - Scotland 0 England 1 [0-0] Hampden Park, Glasgow - Kick-off 3.00pm BST	Grandstand (BBC1) - 2:35pm - 4:50pm commentator John Motson BBC Scotland commentator Archie Macpherson World of Sport (ITV) - 2:45pm - 4:55pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, London Weekend, Southern, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire commentators Brian Moore and Jack Charlton Grampian and Scottish commentators Arthur Montford and Danny McGrain International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm International Sportscene (BBC1 Scotland) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm (recorded highlights)
523	Wednesday, 24 May 1978 - England 4 Hungary 1 [3-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	The Mid-Week Match (ITV) - 10:30pm - 11:45pm (all regions) commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights)
Other England Internationals		Saturday, 27th May 1978 - Schoolboys Wembley Stadium, London England 3 Scotland 0 - World of Sport (ITV) 3:00pm - 4:55pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Grampian, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, London Weekend, Southern, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire commentator Brian Moore (Scottish opted out to show the Scottish Junior Cup Final)

Season 1978-79
524	Wednesday, 20 September 1978 - Denmark 3 England 4 [2-2] Idrætsparken, København - Kick-off 7.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm (recorded highlights) commentator Barry Davies (BBC Scotland opted out)
Notes		Highlights from the two other opening European Championship qualifiers involving home nations were also included, after both had been shown live in their respective countries. Scotland travelled to Vienna to face Austria on BBC1 Scotland's European Sportscene (at the same time as England's game), whilst in the afternoon, the historic first meeting between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in Dublin was shown live by BBC1 Northern Ireland and the ITV Ulster region, with both also showing evening highlights (at 8:00 and 6:20 respectively).
525	Wednesday, 25 October 1978 - Republic of Ireland 1 England 1 [1-1] Lansdowne Road, Dublin - Kick-off 3.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Mid-week Sports Special (ITV) - 10:40pm - 12:25am Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV West, Southern, Thames, Tyne Tees, Westward and Yorkshire (recorded highlights) commentator Brian Moore (Grampian, HTV Cymru/Wales and Scottish opted out)
Notes		Though it was the same programme, Grampian and Scottish viewers saw highlights from Scotland's game with Norway, instead of the England game, whilst HTV Cymru/Wales viewers saw Wales v. Malta. The programme also included action from the World Gymnastics Championships in Strasbourg. BBC1 Northern Ireland's 'Sportsnight' showed highlights from Northern Ireland's game with Denmark. RTÉ showed the England game live in Ireland.
527	Wednesday, 7 February 1979 - England 4 Northern Ireland 0 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm GMT	Mid-week Sport Special (ITV) - 7:30pm - 9:30pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, Southern, Thames, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire (Grampian and Scottish opted out) commentators Brian Moore and Jack Charlton
Notes		Scotsport Special on Grampian and Scottish may have featured highlights of the game, in the absence of all of the Scottish Cup ties being postponed.
528	Saturday, 19 May 1979 - Northern Ireland 0 England 2 [0-2] Windsor Park, Belfast - Kick-off 3.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	ITV (all regions) - 7:30pm - 8:30pm commentators Brian Moore and Bobby Robson (recorded highlights) International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:00pm - 11:00pm commentator Barry Davies (recorded highlights)
Notes		International Match of the Day also included highlights from the other opening match in the British Championship, between Wales and Scotland.
529	Wednesday, 23 May 1979 - England 0 Wales 0 [0-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 10:05pm - 11:05pm commentator John Motson (recorded highlights)
530	Saturday, 26 May 1979 - England 3 Scotland 1 [1-1] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 3.00pm BST	Grandstand (BBC1) - 2:35pm - 4:50pm commentators David Coleman (see transcripts below) and Jimmy Hill BBC Scotland commentator Archie Macpherson World of Sport (ITV) - 2:40pm - 4:55pm (all regions) commentators Brian Moore and Jack Charlton International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm Sportscene (BBC1 Scotland) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm (recorded highlights)
531	Wednesday, 6 June 1979 - Bulgaria 0 England 3 [0-1] Stadion Vasil Levski, Sofija - Kick-off 6.00pm (4.00pm BST)	Grandstand (BBC1) - 3:55pm - 5:50pm commentator John Motson Sportsnight (BBC1) - 9:25pm - 10:55pm (recorded highlights)
Notes		Grandstand started at 3:00. The 200th Derby was run at Epsom, just before the game, and was won for the first time by Willie Carson on Troy. Sportsnight also featured highlights from an athletics meeting between England, Canada and Kenya at Gateshead, with David Coleman commentating. There was also a re-run of The Derby. The Ulster region of ITV provided live coverage of Northern Ireland's European Championship trip to Copenhagen to face Denmark.
Other England Internationals		Saturday, 9th June 1979 - Schoolboys Wembley Stadium, London England 2 West Germany 2 - World of Sport (ITV) 3:10pm - 4:55pm (all regions) commentators Martin Tyler and Ian St John
532	Sunday, 10 June 1979 - Sweden 0 England 0 [0-0] Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna - Kick-off 5.00pm BST	International Sports Special (BBC1) - 4:55pm - 6:50pm commentator John Motson (News Headlines and Weather at half-time)
Notes		The game was preceded by more athletics from Gateshead at 4:30 as England took on Belgium, Norway and Scotland.
533	Wednesday, 13 June 1979 - Austria 4 England 3 [3-1] Praterstadion, Prater, Wien - Kick-off 7.30pm BST	Mid-week Sports Special (ITV) - 7:20pm - 9:30pm (all regions) commentators Brian Moore, Bobby Robson and Peter Shilton (second half)

Season 1979-80
535	Wednesday, 17 October 1979 - Northern Ireland 1 England 5 [0-2] Windsor Park, Belfast - Kick-off 3.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1 Northern Ireland) - 10:15pm - 11:08pm (recorded highlights) commentator George Hamilton Football Focus (BBC1) - Saturday, 20th October - 12:35pm - 1:05pm (recorded highlights) commentator Barry Davies
Notes		ITV possessed exclusive rights to show the highlights in England, Scotland and Wales, but had been off-air since August due to a strike and the BBC only had the rights to show highlights in Northern Ireland that night. BBC1 Scotland's International Sportscene showed Scotland's European Championship qualifier with Austria, whilst BBC1 Wales provided live coverage of their qualifier with West Germany in Cologne.
536	Thursday, 22 November 1979 - England 2 Bulgaria 0 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm GMT HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight Special (BBC1) - 10:25pm - 11:10pm (recorded highlights) commentator Barry Davies
Notes		The game had been scheduled to appear in the previous night's Sportsnight, but it was postponed because of fog.
537	Wednesday, 6 February 1980 - England 2 Republic of Ireland 0 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm GMT HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Sportsnight (BBC1) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm (recorded highlights) commentator John Motson
Notes		RTÉ 1 showed the game live in Ireland. Sportsnight also featured cricket highlights from the final day of England's third and final test in Melbourne as they lost by eight wickets to lose the series 3-0 to Australia.
538	Wednesday, 26 March 1980 - Spain 0 England 2 [0-1] Nou Estadi del FC Barcelona, Barcelona - Kick-off 8.30pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	Mid-week Sports Special (ITV) - 10:40pm - 11:40pm (all regions) commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights)
Notes		BBC2 Northern Ireland provided live coverage in the afternoon of the province's opening World Cup qualifier in Israel, with highlights later in Sportsnight on BBC1 Northern Ireland.
539	Tuesday, 13 May 1980 - England 3 Argentina 1 [1-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:10pm - 11:10pm commentator Barry Davies (recorded highlights)
540	Saturday, 17 May 1980 - Wales 4 England 1 [2-1] Racecourse Ground, Wrexham - Kick-off 3.00pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	ITV (all regions) - 7:00pm - 8:00pm commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights) International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:00pm - 10:45pm commentator Barry Davies (recorded highlights)
541	Tuesday, 20 May 1980 - England 1 Northern Ireland 1 [0-0] Wembley Stadium, Wembley - Kick-off 7.45pm BST HIGHLIGHTS ONLY	International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:15pm - 11:15pm commentator Barry Davies (recorded highlights)
542	Saturday, 24 May 1980 - Scotland 0 England 2 [0-1] Hampden Park, Glasgow - Kick-off 3.00pm BST	Grandstand (BBC1) - 2:35pm - 5:05pm commentator Barry Davies BBC Scotland commentator Archie Macpherson World of Sport (ITV) - 2:40pm - 4:55pm Anglia, ATV, Border, Channel, Granada, HTV Cymru/Wales, HTV West, London Weekend, Southern, Tyne Tees, Ulster, Westward and Yorkshire commentator Brian Moore Grampian and Scottish commentator Arthur Montford International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:00pm - 11:00pm International Sportscene (BBC1 Scotland) - 10:00pm - 11:00pm (recorded highlights)
Other England Internationals		Saturday, 7th June 1980 - Schoolboys Wembley Stadium, London England 4 Scotland 5 - World of Sport (ITV) 3:10pm - 4:55pm (all regions) commentators Brian Moore and Ian St John
European Championship Finals 1980		Italy
544	Thursday, 12 June 1980 - Belgium 1 England 1 [0-1] Stadio Comunale di Torino, Torino - Kick-off 5.45pm (4.45pm BST)	International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 4:35pm - 6:50pm commentators John Motson and Bobby Charlton ITV (all regions) - 7:00pm - 7:25pm (approximately) commentator Brian Moore (recorded highlights) International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 10:15pm - 11:05pm (recorded highlights)
Notes		ITV's programme featured live coverage of the other opening game in England's group, between the hosts, Italy and Spain in Milan, following highlights from England's game. The BBC included highlights from the game in Milan in their later programme.
545	Sunday, 15 June 1980 - England 0 Italy 1 [0-1] Stadio Comunale di Torino, Torino - Kick-off 8.30pm (7.30pm BST)	ITV (all regions) - 7:15pm - 9:30pm commentators Brian Moore and Ron Atkinson International Match of the Day (BBC1) - 11:05pm - 12:05am commentator John Motson (recorded highlights) ITV (all regions) - 11:35pm - 12:05am (recorded highlights)
Notes		All three programmes included highlights from the other game in England's group, played earlier between Belgium and Spain, in Milan. RTÉ 2 showed England's game live in Ireland.
546	Wednesday, 18 June 1980 - Spain 1 England 2 [0-1] Stadio San Paolo, Napoli - Kick-off 5.45pm (4.45pm BST)	ITV (all regions) - 4:25pm - 6:45pm commentators Brian Moore and Ron Atkinson (News Headlines at half-time) International Match of the Day (BBC1) 6:55pm - 7:25pm (approximately) commentator Barry Davies (recorded highlights) ITV (all regions) - 11:05pm - 11:50pm (recorded highlights)
Notes		International Match of the Day featured live coverage of the final match in England's group, between Belgium and Italy in Rome, following highlights from England's game. ITV included highlights from the game in Rome in their later programme.

Saturday, 26 May 1979

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP

England 3 Scotland 1

(BBC commentary transcript - David Coleman, his last live match)

As John Wark gave Scotland the lead...

Dalglish, one-nil, Wark.

As Ray Clemence made a brilliant save, tipping a deflection off Dave Watson onto the bar...

Now Jordan, oh, a fantastic reflex save from Ray Clemence! No wonder he's only let sixteen in this season. He really had to react so fast. The ball ricocheted off an England player and Clemence twisted in mid-air like lightning.

As Peter Barnes equalised...

Watson to Barnes, Wilkins, Keegan, Brooking, good flick, Barnes behind him...oh, it's there!..and England have stolen one back...after it not looking so promising at all.

As Steve Coppell put England in front...

...pushed wide...Wilkins...and it came off Wood, it's in the net from Coppell...and England...have stolen another!

As Kevin Keegan scored a brilliant third goal for England...

Keegan...Brooking breaking forward...took the attention away from Keegan, there's the one-two, and it's three-one!...and the Scots' defence sliced apart!
   

GI