The final episode of Football Focus aired on Sunday, ending 52 years on air.
It was an emotional episode as long-time pundit Garth Crooks returned to Focus, sitting alongside Alex Scott to reflect on the show’s past and preview the final day of the Premier League season.
Advertisement
Bob Wilson, the show’s original presenter, closed the show by saying: “All good things come to an end. Thank you to everyone at home for watching Football Focus for the past 52 years. We’ve had football.”
Founded in 1974, Focus Focus provided fans with interviews, analysis and news from every game every lunchtime before the weekend games started.
The world’s longest-running magazine show kicked off with a tribute to the show, with its former presenters sharing their favorite memories over the decades.
The old system was used in accordance with its history.
Advertisement
Crooks ended the program by presenting Scott with a photo of himself and Bob Wilson, on behalf of the “Football Focus” family.
Before giving it to Wilson, an emotional Scott said: “For 52 years, this program has done one thing. Every week, every week, it has brought football to your Saturday afternoon meetings. Whether it was Bob Wilson or one of the wise men sitting in this chair behind him, the one thing that hasn’t changed is you – the fans.
“I will not pretend that this is not difficult. What I know is that football does not end, stories do not end. Goals, drama, sorrow, magic, nothing stands still. It just finds a new home.
“To everyone who has worked at Football Focus, thank you. Thank you for making Saturday lunchtime something we look forward to. It was an honor.”
Advertisement
From the impressionists to Tom Jones – Focus Focus memories
Hosts, commentators and commentators who have been involved with Focus Focus over the years have shared their favorite memories of the show:
Bob Wilson: “I remember the day I got my words together a little bit. You’re doing it off the top of your head. I was supposed to say we just heard that Joe Jordan passed the fitness test and instead I looked at the camera and said ‘we just heard that Joe Jordan just passed the fitness test’.
“After my career in football I never thought I would spend so much time bringing people the news of the week, the latest news, the latest great players. There was a lot involved and amazing memories from the first day to the last.”
Advertisement
Ray Stubbs: “Lawro had to miss the show because he was sick. Someone, maybe me, decided it would be a good idea to ask the actor and impressionist Alistair McGowan to appear in character. He came, he did Lawro for the last 15 minutes of the show and he was very good.
“As the show ends the phone rings again and it’s Motty. He gave his usual criticism of the show very quickly: ‘Lawro was talking nonsense, and I’m telling you, he’s not looking good’.”
Dan Walker: “One show that really stood out to me was the show we did in Afghanistan. I love that we had a big dream – could we take the show to Camp Bastion and do it from there? And we did.
“I’ll always look back on that as one of the best things I’ve ever been involved with.
Advertisement
“Part of the magic of the program has always been the title because that’s what we did. We looked back, we looked forward, we talked about what happened, we talked about the future and we tried to focus on football.”
Mark Lawrenson: “We had this thing where we were going to have a beer after the show, just one. This guy was coming up to us, it was Tom Jones.
“When we got to him he said ‘hello guys, how are you’. We went ‘okay’. He said ‘how did Swansea do?’. I said ‘they lost 2-1’.
“He said ‘it’s not normal’.”
Advertisement
Alex Scott: “It’s been a big part of my life since I was a little girl and growing up and I watched it on Saturdays to the first time I sat next to Dan Walker eight years ago, to sitting in that chair that was a great privilege to laugh, to cry. There are so many memories that I will cherish forever and never forget.”
Manish Bhasin: “My favorite memory involves being with Sven Goran Eriksson in the studio right after England’s shock defeat to Northern Ireland. We also had Lawrie Sanchez as Northern Ireland’s head coach. Sven didn’t know that so when he came and saw him he took me aside and said ‘Manish…’
Martin Keown: “It’s sad. I remember those days when I came out of the game without those journalistic skills [at first]. We really cared about this program.
“I know Alex played very well in it. It was a show that got under the skin of the football world. You could have been a teenager who wanted to be a professional footballer, what do I see in the background – anything clever that makes me think what are they doing behind the scenes? The players seem normal.
Advertisement
“I thank Focus Focus for that idea and it was an important program.”
Guy Mowbray: “I’ve been watching this show all my life. I’ve been really lucky to be a part of it for almost half my life. I think my special memory would be four and a half years ago, outside the touchline at Hawthorns, channeling my inner Motty. [in the snow].”
